Scientists in the US have figured out how to increase the production of neurons by manipulating a newly discovered type of RNA molecule called Pnky.

Found only in the brain, Pnky is one of the few types of 'non-coding' RNA molecules (lncRNAs) we currently know about, which means it doesn't code for proteins like other RNA molecules. And now it appears Pnky plays a role in neuron production, judging from the experiments performed by neurosurgeon Daniel A. Lim and his team at UC San Francisco.

They were studying the molecules in the neural stem cells of mouse and human brains, and found that when they removed them, neuron production increased by three to four times the normal rate. Why is this exciting? Well, neurons - or nerve cells - play a crucial role in how our brains transmit and process information in the form of electrical nerve impulses. The point of contact between one neuron and another is known as a synapse.