Nervous System

The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord.

What is the Nervous System?

The nervous system is a complex network of neurons and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body.

Function of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Pathology of the Nervous System

What are Schwann Cells?

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia associated with thinner retinas

A new study led by the University of Zurich has shown that evidence of genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia can be found in the retina. This finding could help improve the early detection of the disorder.

22 Apr 2025

Single psychedelic dose boosts long-term cognitive flexibility in mice

University of Michigan researchers have found that certain psychedelic compounds improve the brain’s ability to adapt and flexibly learn new concepts over long periods.

22 Apr 2025

Disruption of sterol biosynthesis by prescription drugs: A hidden threat to brain development

A powerful editorial published today in Brain Medicine raises alarm about a previously overlooked threat to brain development and public health: the disruption of sterol biosynthesis by common prescription medications.

22 Apr 2025

New approach to treating chronic pain without opioids

Chronic pain, a common and debilitating condition, often leads practitioners to prescribe opioids in escalating doses.

22 Apr 2025

Transcendental meditation greatly reduces PTSD symptoms, meta-analysis shows

Just published is the third new study showing that TM is highly effective in reducing stress in a wide array of populations.

21 Apr 2025

Engineered brain cells offer new hope for treating Alzheimer's

A new way to deliver disease-fighting proteins throughout the brain may improve the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, according to University of California, Irvine scientists.

21 Apr 2025

Existing drug shows potential to revive immune cells in sepsis patients

When the immune system does not function properly, individuals become more susceptible to infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.

18 Apr 2025

Discovery sheds light on protein's role in myelin formation and schizophrenia

Research published in the Journal of Neurochemistry has detailed the role of a protein, hnRNP A1, in the formation and stability of myelin, suggesting an important impact on neurodegenerative diseases and mental disorders such as multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.

17 Apr 2025

Researchers identify gene targets that may protect against Alzheimer’s

A study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital provides solutions to the pressing need to identify factors that influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk or resistance while providing an avenue to explore potential biological markers and therapeutic targets.

17 Apr 2025

Internal appetite signals vary with socioeconomic background

Published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, the research highlights how physiological signals, particularly those transmitted via the vagus nerve, interact with socio-economic factors to shape dietary behavior.

16 Apr 2025

Sex and age play key roles in dementia biomarker levels

A new study has found important clues about the roles age, sex, hormonal changes and genetics play in how certain biomarkers for dementia are expressed in the blood, according to a study published on April 16, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Apr 2025

FOXR2 activation found in multiple pediatric brain tumor types

Physicians classify brain tumors and determine treatment options, in part, by the genes they express. According to World Health Organization standards, the abnormal activation of oncogene FOXR2 only occurs in central nervous system (CNS) neuroblastoma, but that may not be true.

16 Apr 2025

Harnessing the healing power of music in clinical care

Rhonda Winegar remembers watching the 2014 documentary "I'll Be Me," which chronicled country music legend Glen Campbell's struggles with Alzheimer's disease.

16 Apr 2025

Can gut microbes help prevent Alzheimer’s?

A comprehensive review explores how gut microbiota diversity and fitness influence Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk through neuroinflammation, amyloid and tau pathology, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. It highlights the therapeutic potential of probiotics, dietary interventions, and omics technologies in restoring microbial balance and preventing neurodegeneration.

13 Apr 2025

Probiotics improve emotional state in healthy adults, study finds

A randomized controlled trial in 88 healthy adults found that probiotics reduced negative mood when assessed using daily self-reports, though traditional questionnaires failed to detect significant changes. These findings suggest that daily mood tracking may offer a more sensitive way to capture subtle emotional effects of probiotics in non-clinical populations.

10 Apr 2025

Survey reveals diverse practices in thoracic sympathetic surgery across Europe

Thoracic autonomic nervous system surgery is mainly used for hyperhidrosis/facial flushing, whereas cardiac and vascular indications are limited.

10 Apr 2025

Researchers uncover a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders

A seminal study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Iceland has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

10 Apr 2025

Heavy drinking linked to increased risk of brain lesions

Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems, according to a study published on April 9, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Apr 2025

Study explores impact of parental Alzheimer’s on tau protein spread in the brain

While some studies have suggested that having a mother with Alzheimer's disease may put you more at risk of developing the disease, a new study finds that having a father with the disease may be tied to a greater spread of the tau protein in the brain that is a sign of the disease, according to a study published on April 9, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Apr 2025

Tim-3 identified as promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Tim-3 is an immune checkpoint molecule involved in immunity and inflammation recently linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its role in the brain was unknown until now.

9 Apr 2025