Maturation Phenomenon in Cerebral Ischemia

Many nerve cells of the brain are not killed outright but rather suffer a "delayed neuronal death" or even recover. This well-known fact has led to the concept of "maturation phenomenon", which implies that the maturation of ischemc lesions may provide a window of opportunity, that is, a period of time during which the injury to neuronal elements is still reversible if the proper therapeutic measures are applied. The symposium on Maturation Phenomenon in Cerebral Ischemia was the first international meeting to focus primarily on this subject; the resulting publication contains presentations and discussions by prominent researchers engaged in this field. This book should stimulate further research on the potential of brain tissue for recovery, particularly with regard to a functional recovery of neurons suffering from chronic ischemic injury.