Fascinating information that makes complete sense. I can only assume that a soft food diet would provide limited food options compared to a regular consistency food diet, lending to a lower nutritional intake which would fundamentally impair neurogenesis. Great research.
Try things outside your comfort zone is a good way of making new neural connections in the brain. Start with taking cold showers.
Curiosity is the single most important attribute with which humans are born. More than a simple desire to discover or know things, curiosity is a powerful tool, like a scalpel or a searchlight. Curiosity changes us. It is also a way to effect change, perhaps even on a global level.