Scientific thought on brain development and damage has long held that the brain stops creating new neurons once humans enter adulthood. According to this understanding, when our existing brain cells are damaged or die, they are gone forever, irreplaceable. I remember being told by parents and teachers throughout my childhood, “Don’t hit your head! You can’t grow those brain cells back!” and trusting and fearing this logic. Thankfully, however, scientists recently discovered a process called neurogenesis, or the growth and development of nervous tissue. This means that the creation of new neurons is in fact possible, occurring in an area of the brain known as the hippocampus — the same area of the brain associated with memory.
