Abstract
The discovery that the adult mammalian brain continuously generates new neurons and glia throughout its life has altered the present view of brain plasticity and raised hope for ameliorating neurological disorders. Newborn neurons arise from neural stem cells (NSCs) located in specialized brain regions of all mammalian species, including humans. The NSCs are regulated by these specialized environments, or niches, and are subject to dynamic regulation by many physiological, pathological, and pharmacological stimuli.
Increasing evidence suggests that adult NSCs significantly contribute to specialized adaptive behavior through neural circuitry refinement. In this chapter, attention is focused on the current understanding of NSCs in the adult mammalian central nervous system, including subjects of their identity, niche, regulation, and emerging concepts on their heterogeneity and lineage relationships.
TBI Rehabilitation 