Brief electrical stimulation of cerebellar fastigial nucleus conditions long-lasting salvage from focal cerebral ischemia: conditioned central neurogenic neuroprotection.

The cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) was electrically stimulated for 1 h in anesthetized rats and the middle cerebral artery occluded at various times thereafter. Stimulation of the FN but not dentate nucleus reduced the volume of the focal infarction to 50%. Protection persisted for 10 but disappeared by 30 d. Intrinsic neuronal pathways which function to condition central neurogenic neuroprotection can protect the brain from ischemic injury by processes independent of cerebral blood flow.