Antidepressant drugs that increase levels of the norepinephrine neurotransmitter trigger neurogenesis (growth of new neurons) in the hippocampus, while drugs such as Prozac that increase levels of serotonin fail to stimulate neurogenesis, University of Queensland researchers have found.

The finding may lead to improved treatments for depression, as well as for dementia, which appears to be related to a decrease in neurogenesis, especially in the aging population.