Cortical spreading depression

Cortical spreading depression is an expression used by some neuroscientists to represent at least one of the following cortical processes:
 * The spreading of a self-propagating wave of cellular depolarization in the cerebral cortex.
 * The spreading of a wave of ischemia passing through an area of cortex.
 * The spreading of a wave of vasoconstriction following vasodilation of contiguous cortical arterioles.

The scintillating scotoma of migraine in humans may be related to the neurophysiologic phenomenon termed the spreading depression of Leão.

The spreading depression wave progresses across the cortex at approximately 3.6 mm/minute.