Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter implicated in the regulation of mood, motivation and movement. Here, we have reviewed recent data suggesting that dopamine, in addition to being a neurotransmitter, also plays a role in the regulation of endogenous neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain. In addition, we approach a highly controversial question: can the adult human brain use endogenous neurogenesis to replace the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra that are lost in Parkinson’s disease?
