I'm Elise Hugh with TED Talks Daily.

We've got some really hopeful news in today's talk from the neural stem cell researcher Sandrine Ture.

Our brains can produce hundreds of new neurons or brain cells each day.

This is important because this is the process of neurogenesis, which scientists are learning to control.

In her archive talk from TED at BCG London in 2015, Ture shares the promises of neurogenesis

to improve memory, mood, and overall health.

Can we as adults grow new nerve cells? There is still some confusion about that question,

as this is a fairly new field of research. For example, I was talking to one of my colleague,

Robert, who is an oncologist, and he was telling me, Sandrine, this is puzzling.

Some of my patients that have been told they are cured of their cancer

still develop symptoms of depression.

And I responded to him, well, from my point of view, that makes sense.

The drug you give to your patients that stops the cancer cells multiplying

also stop the newborn neurons being generated in their brain.

And then Robert looked at me like I was crazy and said,

but Sondrian, these are adult patients.

Adult do not grow new nerve cells.

And much to its surprise, I said, well, actually, we do.

And this is a phenomenon that we call neurogenesis.

So now, Robert is not a neuroscientist.

And when he went to medical school, he was not taught what we know now,

that the adult brain can generate new nerve cells.

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