Assessment of Neurogenesis in Models of Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Neurogenesis is the generation of new neurons. In hippocampal dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb, which usually are referred to as the neurogenic region in the mammalian brain, new neurons are developed daily throughout their lifetime. In the non-neurogenic region of the brain, neurogenesis occurs only under certain pathological conditions. Focal cerebral ischemia is a common neurological disease that stimulates neurogenesis in both neurogenic and non-neurogenic regions in adult brains. The integration between the preexisting and the newly developed neurons in the ischemic regions happens after the new ones matured morphologically and functionally. This chapter introduces the methods of studying neurogenesis using focal cerebral ischemia models, including morphological analysis by performing immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent multiple staining with confocal scanning and immunoelectron microscopy, and functional determination of neurons by using electrophysiological recording and FM dye synaptic vesicle staining in animal brain slices containing retroviral green fluorescent protein-labeled new neurons.