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Objective: Magnesium therapy has been studied extensively in pre-clinical and clinical trials in multiple organ systems. Cerebrovascular diseases may benefit from its neuropro-tective properties. This review summarizes current studies of magnesium in a wide range of neurovascular diseases. Methods:We searched relevant terms in the National Library of Medicine PubMed data-base and selected research including basic science, translational reports, meta-analyses, and clinical studies. Results: Studies examining magnesium administration in ischemic stroke have failed to show any benefit in clinical outcome. Data on magnesium for intracerebral hemor-rhage (ICH) are limited. Preliminary investigations in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were promising, but definitive studies did not reveal differences in clinical outcome between magnesium and placebo-treated groups. Studies examining magnesium administration in global ischemia following cardiac arrest suggest a trend toward improved clinical outcome. The strongest evidence for clinically relevant neuroprotection following magnesium admin-istration derives from studies of pre-term infants and patients undergoing cardiac bypas