New neurons are generated in the dentate gyrus of the adult brain throughout life. They incorporate in the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus and integrate in the hippocampal circuitry. Increasing evidence suggests that new neurons play a role in learning and memory. In turn, a large body of evidence suggests that neurogenesis is impaired in Alzheimer's disease, contributing to memory deficits characterizing the disease. We outline here current knowledge about the biology of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its function in learning and memory. In addition, we discuss evidence that neurogenesis is dysfunctional in Alzheimer's disease, address the controversy in the literature concerning the persistence of hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult and aging human brain, and evaluate the therapeutic potential of neurogenesis-based drug development for the treatment of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

成年大脑的齿状回终生都会产生新的神经元。它们并入齿状回的颗粒细胞层并整合到海马回路中。越来越多的证据表明，新的神经元在学习和记忆中发挥作用。反过来，大量证据表明阿尔茨海默病中的神经发生受损，导致该疾病的记忆缺陷。我们在这里概述了有关成人海马神经发生生物学及其在学习和记忆中的功能的最新知识。此外，我们讨论了阿尔茨海默病中神经发生功能障碍的证据，解决了文献中关于海马神经发生在成人和衰老人脑中持续存在的争议，