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

Does COVID-19 affect heart rate variability after recovery?

Researchers determine the impact of mild COVID-19 on heart rate variability.

31 Mar 2025

New insights into how the immune system handles latent parasite infections

Most humans have long-lived infections in various tissues-including in the nervous system-that typically do not result in disease.

28 Mar 2025

Study finds association between heart dysfunction and smaller brain volumes

People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Mar 2025

Neighborhood disadvantage linked to higher dementia risk

People living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more likely to develop dementia than people living in neighborhoods with fewer disadvantages, according to a study published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Mar 2025

Researchers identify key gene linked to heroin addiction

Opioid use disorder is associated with more than 350,000 deaths annually worldwide. Guided by the need for an increased understanding of critical neurobiological features of addiction, researchers have now found a unique molecular signature and genes in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with heroin-seeking behavior.

26 Mar 2025

Marathon running temporarily reduces brain myelin levels

Marathon running causes a temporary decline in brain myelin content, but levels return to normal within two months. This reversible change may reflect the brain tapping into myelin lipids as an emergency energy source during extreme exertion.

25 Mar 2025

Research identifies pressure-sensing protein behind gut motility

After every meal, the intestines perform an action called peristalsis - moving food through their hollow interiors with coordinated contractions and relaxations of the smooth muscle.

25 Mar 2025

New brain circuit involved in motion sickness could help improve metabolic health

Motion sickness is a very common condition that affects about 1 in 3 people, but the brain circuits involved are largely unknown. In the current study published in Nature Metabolism, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital describe a new brain circuit involved in motion sickness that also contributes to regulating body temperature and metabolic balance.

24 Mar 2025

Study links type 2 diabetes to weakened reward signals in the brain

The high comorbidity of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders points to a need for understanding what links these diseases.

24 Mar 2025

Case study: Bartonella, Babesia pathogens can be a cofactor in complex neurological illnesses

In a new case study, researchers from North Carolina State University found Bartonella henselae, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens-like MO-1 DNA in brain tissue samples from a young child with seizures and suspected Rasmussen's encephalitis.

22 Mar 2025

Groundbreaking study unveils key mechanism for neuronal identity regulation

A team of researchers from the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University (New York, USA), has identified a mechanism that regulates the production of two different proteins from the same gene.

22 Mar 2025

Researchers uncover protective role of dopamine in regulating tau function

The research group led by Prof. Wang Chu from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University published a research article entitled "Quantitative Chemoproteomics Reveals Dopamine's Protective Modification of Tau" in Nature Chemical Biology (DOI:10.1038/s41589-025-01849-9).

21 Mar 2025

Advanced software improves cerebellum analysis for disease diagnosis

A team of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has developed the world's most advanced software to study the human cerebellum using high-resolution NMR images.

20 Mar 2025

Daytime sleepiness may double dementia risk in elderly women

For women in their 80s, experiencing increasing sleepiness during the day over a five-year period is associated with double the risk of developing dementia during that time, according to a study published on March 19, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Mar 2025

Study sheds light on why women experience chronic pain more than men

A new study led by University of Calgary professor Dr. Tuan Trang, PhD, may help to explain why there is an over-representation of women experiencing chronic pain compared to men.

18 Mar 2025

Study reveals how stress affects TBI outcomes in a sex-dependent manner

How stress impacts behavioral outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major gap in knowledge

17 Mar 2025

$2.17 million NIH grant awarded to investigate cranial osteopathic manipulation for brain injury recovery

Could applying a little pressure to the head be a game changer for the treatment of traumatic brain injury?

17 Mar 2025

Probiotic drink kefir shows promise in preventing Alzheimer’s

Kefir, a probiotic-rich fermented milk, shows potential in reducing neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and beta-amyloid buildup, suggesting a role in Alzheimer’s prevention and management. However, more clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness in human patients.

17 Mar 2025

Study shows potential of uric acid as add-on therapy for stroke

In a preclinical study, rodents treated with uric acid showed improved long-term outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. The findings suggest that the treatment may work as an add-on therapy to standard stroke treatments in humans.

17 Mar 2025

Blood-brain barrier dysfunction and inflammation linked to Down syndrome Regression Disorder

A new research study led by Jonathan D. Santoro, MD, Director of the Neuroimmunology Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, shows evidence of dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier and inflammation in the central nervous system in individuals with Down syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD).

14 Mar 2025