Figure 2.

Functional implications of adult neurogenesis. The contribution of adult neurogenesis to physiological and pathological processes mediated by the hippocampus and the OB is supported by a substantial amount of evidence from rodent studies. In the hippocampus, this process regulates specific aspects of cognitive (dorsal portion) and affective (ventral portion) processing, while newborn neurons generated in the SVZ were shown to contribute to olfactory function and reproductive behavior (in birds). There is also increasing evidence indicating that neural progenitors may exert a relevant role in the regulation of hypothalamic function (particularly in metabolic function/feeding behaviors). On the other hand, it is still unclear whether progenitor cells found in other brain regions have a functional significance other than participating in recovery processes triggered following injury, neuronal loss, or neurodegeneration.