Neurons competing for survival
It's definitely real ;)

Depending on your previous knowledge, this review from 1987 might be a good starting point.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/237/4819/1154.long

To give you an idea of recent developments this article is an easy read. Be sure to browse the references.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612357/