[thedoc (OP)]

Sherburne de Garmo asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Does exercise provoke the birth of new dopaminergic nerve cells in the brain?
What do you think?

[carl89]

I am also looking for its answer. For fighting depression and anxiety, doctors often say to do exercise. I think there involved neurotransmitter in the whole phenomena,

[evan_au]

Exercise can produce endocannabinoids, which in turn produce a sensation of pleasure.
Pleasure is signaled by an increase in dopamine.

Even if the exercise doesn't directly prompt the growth of dopamine-secreting cells in the brain, it can indirectly increase the level of dopamine.

The problem with diseases like Parkinsons is that the dopaminergic cells die, and aren't replaced.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine#Nervous_system

[Bored chemist]

Does anything promote the growth of any new cells in the brain (in a good way)?

[evan_au]

Does anything promote the growth of any new cells in the brain

Yes, new cells are generated in memory areas of the brain - mainly the hypothalamus.
- For more scent-oriented creatures (like mice), new nerves also grow in the olfactory bulb of the brain.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_neurogenesis