In a rat 3-day survival model of 10-minute four-vessel occlusion, halothane anesthesia was used to attenuate the ictal blood pressure elevation of the cerebral ischemic response and thereby maintain an isoelectric EEG. Selectively vulnerable regions of the brain were protected by preischemia plus postischemia maintenance treatment with the calcium entry blocker nicardipine. Compared with untreated animals, repeated doses at 500 micrograms/kg IP were markedly more effective than doses of 50 micrograms/kg. Ongoing studies demonstrate a neurocytoprotective action of nicardipine when deferred treatment is given postischemia.