Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, the generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG), is a form of neural plasticity that may enhance cognitive functions. This study shows that increasing adult-born neurons through genetic manipulation improves performance in a cognitive task requiring distinguishing between similar contexts, suggesting enhanced pattern separation. Mice with increased neurogenesis showed improved ability to differentiate overlapping contextual representations, indicating enhanced pattern separation. However, increasing neurogenesis alone did not produce anxiolytic or antidepressant-like behaviors. When combined with voluntary exercise, increased neurogenesis significantly enhanced exploratory behavior. The study also found that increasing neurogenesis does not affect spatial learning or memory in tasks like the Morris water maze or active place avoidance. In contextual fear discrimination learning, mice with increased neurogenesis showed better discrimination between similar contexts, but no improvement in extinction learning. The findings suggest that increasing adult hippocampal neurogenesis may have therapeutic potential for conditions like age-related memory impairments and anxiety disorders. The DG is crucial for pattern separation, transforming similar experiences into distinct representations. Neurogenesis in the DG is associated with antidepressant-like behaviors, and its suppression impairs pattern separation and some antidepressant effects. The study used genetic strategies to enhance neurogenesis and found that increasing the survival of adult-born neurons improved cognitive performance. However, neurogenesis alone did not produce anxiolytic or antidepressant-like behaviors, indicating that other factors are needed for full behavioral effects of antidepressants. The study also showed that combining neurogenesis with environmental enrichment, such as voluntary exercise, enhances exploratory behavior. The results highlight the role of the DG in learning and mood regulation, and suggest that strategies to enhance neurogenesis may be useful for treating cognitive and mood disorders.Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, the generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG), is a form of neural plasticity that may enhance cognitive functions. This study shows that increasing adult-born neurons through genetic manipulation improves performance in a cognitive task requiring distinguishing between similar contexts, suggesting enhanced pattern separation. Mice with increased neurogenesis showed improved ability to differentiate overlapping contextual representations, indicating enhanced pattern separation. However, increasing neurogenesis alone did not produce anxiolytic or antidepressant-like behaviors. When combined with voluntary exercise, increased neurogenesis significantly enhanced exploratory behavior. The study also found that increasing neurogenesis does not affect spatial learning or memory in tasks like the Morris water maze or active place avoidance. In contextual fear discrimination learning, mice with increased neurogenesis showed better discrimination between similar contexts, but no improvement in extinction learning. The findings suggest that increasing adult hippocampal neurogenesis may have therapeutic potential for conditions like age-related memory impairments and anxiety disorders. The DG is crucial for pattern separation, transforming similar experiences into distinct representations. Neurogenesis in the DG is associated with antidepressant-like behaviors, and its suppression impairs pattern separation and some antidepressant effects. The study used genetic strategies to enhance neurogenesis and found that increasing the survival of adult-born neurons improved cognitive performance. However, neurogenesis alone did not produce anxiolytic or antidepressant-like behaviors, indicating that other factors are needed for full behavioral effects of antidepressants. The study also showed that combining neurogenesis with environmental enrichment, such as voluntary exercise, enhances exploratory behavior. The results highlight the role of the DG in learning and mood regulation, and suggest that strategies to enhance neurogenesis may be useful for treating cognitive and mood disorders.