Excitotoxic lesions of FN reduces the salvage produced by FN stimulation of both excitotoxic lesions and focal ischemic infarctions. Intrinsic FN neurons were destroyed by IBO 5 d before FN stimulation or sham stimulation. Average cross-sectional area (n = 5–6 per group; mean ± SEM; *p < 0.05, FN-stimulated compared with sham-stimulated) are plotted relative to distance from interaural line as in Figure 2. Groups of rats comprising sham-stimulated (filled triangles), FN-stimulated without excitotoxic lesions (open circles), and FN-stimulated (open squares) with excitotoxic lesions of FN were compared. A, Effects on excitotoxic lesions. IBO was microinjected into striatum 3 d after stimulating the FN, and rats were killed 24 hr thereafter. B, Volume of focal ischemic infarctions. Note that destruction of intrinsic lesions of FN abolish neuroprotection with either lesion.