Immature Neurons and the Neurogenesis Debate in Human Depression

A critical review reevaluates the neurogenic hypothesis of depression in humans in light of new data on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, highlighting heterogeneous postmortem findings and recent advances in human-specific neurogenesis research. It emphasizes immature granule neurons as a potential, understudied element that may be affected by stress, inflammation, and antidepressant treatment, and discusses how human data are reshaping causal models, regional hippocampal differences, and therapeutic targets. The article also outlines research directions to clarify the role of immature neurons in depression and resilience and to explore their translational potential for treatment.