Adult Neurogenesis

There is scientifically proven evidence that new neurons are generated and incorporated into circuits of the adult human brain. However, their amount is limited and significantly declines with age and pathologic conditions. The contribution of adult neurogenesis in cognitive function in humans remains unknown, compared to a wide variety of animal models that support the significant role of neurogenesis in cognition. This chapter describes the history of the discovery, isolation, and differentiation of neural stem cells. The regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis known from rodent models and how neurogenesis is affected by pathologic conditions are also addressed.