It has been well recognized that following an ischemic
insult many nerve cells of the brain are not killed
outright, but may suffer a "delayed neuronal death" or even
recover. This led to the concept of "maturation phenomenon"
with its main implication that the maturation of ischemic
lesions may provide a "window of opportunity" i.e. a period
of time when the injury to neuronal elements is still
reversible, and during which an application of proper
therapeutic measures might be successful.
The symposium on Maturation Phenomenon in Cerebral Ischemia
was the first international meeting focussed primarily on
this subject and the resulting publication contains
presentations and discussionsby prominent researchers
engaged in this field. This book should stimulate further
research on potential of brain tissue for recovery, and
particularly with regard to a functional recovery of neurons
suffering from chronic ischemic injury.