Excitotoxicity
In excitotoxicity, nerve cells suffer damage or death when the levels of otherwise necessary and safe neurotransmitters such as glutamate become pathologically high, resulting in excessive stimulation of receptors. For example, when glutamate receptors such as NMDA receptors or AMPA receptors encounter excessive levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, significant neuronal damage might ensue.