Parkinson's disease develops when some unknown agent kills neurons that produce a nerve-to-nerve messenger known as dopamine, which is important in the control of movement.

Poor transport of glutamate can kill neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

This process kills neurons surrounding the electrodes.

The researchers took advantage of this by linking a potent chemical that kills neurons, a neurotoxin, to SP and having it "hitchhike" into the cell.

Just five minutes of excess glutamate is enough to kill neurons.

Binge drinking can kill neurons in the brain, affecting decisionmaking, learning, and memory.

This can eventually disrupt or even kill neurons, key cells that transmit and process signals in the brain and other parts of the nervous system.

The amino acid is used to kill neurons by essentially stimulating them to death.

But with sustained release from repeated stress, "it eventually kills neurons in the hippocampus," said Dr. Sapolsky.

During the third, it can kill existing neurons and interfere with nervous system development, he added.