Understanding the mechanisms behind neurodifferentiation in adults will be an important milestone in our quest to identify treatment strategies for cognitive disorders observed during our natural ageing or disease. It is now clear that the maturation of neural stem cells to neurones, fully integrated into neuronal circuits requires a complete remodelling of cellular metabolism, including switching the cellular energy source. Mitochondria are central for this transition and are increasingly seen as the regulatory hub in defining neural stem cell fate and neurodevelopment. This review explores our current knowledge of metabolism during adult neurodifferentiation.