Disbalance of the trace elements increases the risk of cerebrovascular disease and, first of all, of ischemic stroke (IS). This is due to the fact that certain trace elements are necessary for maintaining various aspects of the metabolism of neurons and glia. Energetic and plastic processes in the nervous tissue have an extremely active dynamics and their dependence on the availability of brain macro-and micronutrients makes it necessary to take into account the trace element status of patients with IS. This paper presents the results of clinical and basic research which revealed the association between the content of certain trace elements in different biological substrates and the course of stroke. The importance of magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper and selenium for the support of the function of the nervous tissue was shown. The study of the trace element profile in various regions of the brain in patients with IS is a very promising area of modern neurological research.