neurons born in the adult brain take a significantly longer time to develop (Overstreet-Wadiche et al., 2006; Zhao et al., 2006). Interestingly, neuronal activity, such as seizures, accelerates development of adult-born neurons (Ma et al., 2009; Overstreet-Wadiche et al., 2006) and prolonged seizures lead to inappropriate integration of these new neurons (Jessberger et al., 2007). What are fundamental mechanisms that govern the tempo of neurogenesis? What intrinsic properties and extrinsic factors regulate this tempo? These are critical questions not only for developmental neurobiology, but also for the goal of realizing therapeutic cell replacement in the adult nervous system.
