A Semi-stochastic Numerical Model of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Abstract

Adult neurogenesis in dentate gyrus (DG) is a prominent contributor in the dynamics of hippocampal memory networks. This discrete model aims to estimate the temporal changes in the neural progenitor cell (NPC) populations in DG, together with the products of differentiation – immature neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The dynamics are described in an ideal environment, where there is no limit for the total volume and all required chemical and physical cues that direct neurogenesis are continuously available. The system works independently on three levels. Each level is defined as the dynamics in a stage of neurogenesis with three types of NPCs: type I cell (radial glia), type II cell (transiently amplifying cells) and type III cell (neuroblasts). Cell fate was introduced as a semi-stochastic process (a choice) with a population limit for each cell type. Although it is based on discrete processes and has a rather simplistic approach, the simulations successfully provide a numerical template for adult neurogenesis, which can be further modified and implemented in a hippocampal trisynaptic loop network.