Excitotoxicity

MSG is presented as a dietary example of an excitotoxin acting on peripheral sensory neurons. Excitotoxins are substances that cause nerve cells to over-fire. An acute surge of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters, especially glutamate, is proposed to contribute to secondary brain injury after TBI. Mechanical tissue deformation after TBI can trigger widespread glutamate release. Excitotoxins cause nerve cells to overstimulate and fire excessively. Excessive calcium influx and altered signalling can initiate neurotoxic cascades that cause neuronal death. Glutamate overstimulates ionotropic and metabotropic receptors after TBI. Excitotoxic damage concentrates most heavily at the brainstem, specifically where the spinal cord meets the brain. Glutamate acts as an excitotoxin with the potential to damage nerve cells. Excitotoxic overfiring is not limited to taste receptors but triggers excessive neural firing throughout the entire nervous system. Inhibiting the glutamate pathway is considered a plausible neuroprotective strategy because excitotoxicity is linked to poorer neurological outcomes. Excitotoxic damage at the brainstem manifests as localized pain symptoms at that anatomica…