Differential vulnerability to excitatory amino acid-induced toxicity and selective neuronal loss in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by selective degeneration of certain biochemically distinct subpopulations of central neurons. Studies of the intrinsic vulnerability of such neurons to injury by excitatory amino acids in vitro, as well as study of neurologic syndromes produced in animals or humans by ingestion of environmental excitatory amino acid neurotoxins may suggest a link between excitotoxicity, and the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases.