SUMMARY Transient cerebral ischemia was induced in rabbits by sdectire infusion of arachldonlc add (0J5 mg/kg in 15 sec) into the internal carotid artery. Platelet emboll caused transient ischemia of the brain, reaching a maximum within a few seconds after injection. After embolism the EEG flattened, blood flow stopped in almost tbe entire injected hemisphere, cortical pH gradually fell from 731 ± 0.09 to 7.05 ± 0.10 and cortical K + actirity rose from 4.7 ± 1.8 to 12.7 ± 6.4 mmol/kg H,O. Complete ischemia lasted 3-5 min; then cerebral circulation was gradually restored without reactire hyperemia. Forty-fire mm after embolization, circulation had been resumed in almost the entire Injected hemisphere, whereas metabolic changes were still disturbed. Eighty percent of the animals recorered complete neurological function and 20% showed permanent damage confirmed by hlstologlcal examination after 1 week of recorery.Stroke,Voll2,No6,1981SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS have given evidence that the brain has a capacity to recover both metabolic and neurophysiological functions following an extremely long period of ischemia.