neuroprotection
|neu-ro-pro-tec-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌnjʊroʊprəˈtɛkʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌnjʊərəʊprəˈtɛkʃən/
protecting nerve cells
Etymology
'neuroprotection' originates from a modern English combination: the prefix 'neuro-' from Greek, specifically the word 'neûron', where 'neûron' meant 'nerve', and 'protection' from Latin 'protectio' (from 'protegere'), where 'pro-' meant 'before' and 'tegere' meant 'to cover.'
'neuroprotection' formed in 20th-century medical and scientific usage by combining 'neuro-' (Greek root) with the English noun 'protection' (via Latin and Old French 'proteccion'), and it entered modern English as a technical term in neurology and neuroscience.
Initially used to denote the concept of protecting nerve cells from acute injury, the term's scope has expanded to include chronic protection, molecular and cellular therapies, and preventive strategies against neurodegenerative processes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the preservation of neuronal structure and/or function; strategies or interventions that protect nerve cells from injury, degeneration, or death.
Neuroprotection is a major goal of research into treatments for stroke and neurodegenerative disease.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/07 22:31