The purpose of this book is to present clinically relevant basic mechanisms of excitotoxic neuronal death, which in the adult mammalian brain is morphologically necrotic, not apoptotic, and which involve caspase-independent mechanisms of programmed cell death.

The spectrum of clinically relevant pathologically induced excitotoxic neuronal death includes cerebral ischemia, traumatic brain injury, cerebral hypoglycemia, and status epilepticus. By investigating mechanisms, potential neuroprotective strategies can be identified that may have future clinical application.