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Regulation of Adult Neurogenesis by Environment and Learning

  • Gerd Kempermann
Chapter

Abstract

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is tightly linked to hippocampal ­function. This chapter covers the regulation of adult neurogenesis in response to either a relatively broad cognitive stimulus, an environmental enrichment, or ­specific learning situations. In contrast to more general behavioral stimuli, exemplified by voluntary wheel running, which induce precursor cell proliferation, such cognitive challenges promote the survival of newborn cells, presumably recruiting them for a specific function. Supposedly this function is closely related to the neuronal network, to which the new neurons are added; that is, the mossy fiber connection between the dentate gyrus, as the only location in which adult neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus, and CA3. The key idea is that activity-dependent regulation of adult neurogenesis allows lifelong optimization of the mossy fiber connection, presumably allowing the system to efficiently respond to novelty and complexity encountered by the individual.

Keywords

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Dentate Gyrus Environmental Enrichment Adult Neurogenesis Newborn Neuron 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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© Springer 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Genomics of Regeneration, CRTD – Center for Regenerative Therapies DresdenDFG Forschungszentrum und ExcellenzclusterDresdenGermany

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