Scientists in Germany have proved through experimentation a notion that somewhat seems a no-brainer: The adult brain continues to generate neurons as it seeks new experiences, which in turn affects personality development.
The latest research on experience, personality and behavior was conducted by researchers from Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, who analyzed the behavior of 40 sets of genetically identical mice raised in the same environment.
At the same time, "this environment was so rich that each mouse gathered its own individual experiences in it. Over time, the animals therefore increasingly differed in their realm of experience and behavior," said Gerd Kempermann, a professor at the Center for Regenerative Disease Therapies Dresden and a primary investigator for the study, which was published this week in the journal Science.
Each mouse in the experiment was fitted with a microchip that emitted electromagnetic signals, which helped researchers track the movement of each mouse and, thereby, create personality profiles of the little rodents.
Researchers found that despite being raised in the same environment, each of the mice ended up with a different personality and behavior patterns.
The study demonstrated the more complex an environment is, the more pronounced individual differences are, researchers said.
One group of mice was kept sequestered in an un-stimulating enclosure --- and eventually showed the least amount of growth of new brain cells.
"Though the animals shared the same life space, they increasingly differed in their activity levels. These differences were associated with differences in the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that supports learning and memory," said Kempermann in a news release. "Animals that explored the environment to a greater degree also grew more new neurons than animals that were more passive."
Kempermann said that the ongoing development of neurons during adult years left mice capable of reacting to information from the environment with greater flexibility. He added that similar brain processes exists in humans --- which is why identical twins living in the same environment can nonetheless develop strikingly different personalities, even though they have the same set of genes.
Understanding more about the growth of new nerves also may help depression researchers, Bloomberg reports, as limited growth of brain cells have been linked to the mental disorder.
Some scientists have suggested the formation of new neurons may effectively treat depression.
An estimated 9 percent of adults in the United States are depressed, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.