P7C3 is a proneurogenic, neuroprotective small molecule with favorable pharmacological properties discovered from an in vivo screen. In vivo studies gave evidence that P7C3 exerts its proneurogenic activity by protecting newborn neurons from apoptosis. Prolonged administration of P7C3 to npas3-/- mice corrected their deficits by normalizing levels of apoptosis of newborn hippocampal neurons. Prolonged administration of P7C3 to aged rats also enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, impeded neuron death, and preserved cognitive capacity as a function of terminal aging.