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

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Prolonged depression in young adults linked to cognitive decline in middle age

People who experience prolonged depressive symptoms starting in young adulthood may have worse thinking and memory skills in middle age, according to a study published in the June 12, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jun 2024

Human antibodies show promise against Black widow spider venom

There are various types of widow spiders, including black, red, and brown varieties in North and South America, the Australian redback spider, and several button spider species that inhabit South Africa.

12 Jun 2024

How Epstein-Barr virus shapes immune responses in multiple sclerosis

Study found that EBV-specific immune responses in MS patients showed higher IgG titers and cell-mediated reactions to EBV antigens compared to healthy controls, suggesting a complex role of EBV in MS development.

9 Jun 2024

How nanoparticles alter blood vessel formation in the womb

Human life begins with a single egg cell that grows into a human being with trillions of cells.

7 Jun 2024

How increased mTOR activity shortens lifespan and promotes aging-related diseases

The reality of a population who is aging at an accelerated rate makes it a priority to understand what happens in the body over time, on a molecular scale.

7 Jun 2024

Key protein orco crucial for ant olfactory neuron survival and social behavior

While smell plays a considerable role in the social interactions of humans-;for instance, signaling fear or generating closeness-;for ants, it is vitally important.

7 Jun 2024

Novel therapeutic approach shows promise for frontotemporal dementia in pre-clinical trials

Pre-clinical trials: A new therapeutic approach for the severe condition uses modified viruses to replace a missing protein in the brain.

7 Jun 2024

New biological mechanism uncovered for treating breast cancer metastasis to the brain

A study led by researchers from the University of Arizona Cancer Center at UArizona Health Sciences identified a biological mechanism that could lead to more effective treatments for breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain.

7 Jun 2024

Injectable fish oil emulsion reduces brain damage in newborn rodents

An injectable emulsion containing two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil markedly reduced brain damage in newborn rodents after a disruption in the flow of oxygen to the brain near birth, a study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found.

6 Jun 2024

Does diet influence the onset of multiple sclerosis?

A recent study using the UK Biobank data indicates that a healthy diet, including moderate fatty fish and alcohol consumption, can reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) onset.

5 Jun 2024

Common drugs linked to reduced risk of bleeding stroke from brain aneurysm

A new study suggests that people who take a few common drugs may have a decreased risk of having a bleeding stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.

5 Jun 2024

Stanford study reveals link between adaptive myelination and drug addiction

Our brains, even in adulthood, continually adapt to what we do, strengthening or weakening neural pathways as we practice new skills or abandon old habits.

5 Jun 2024

Research reveals light's impact on metabolism beyond circadian rhythms

A recent Nature Metabolism review highlights how light exposure or deprivation affects metabolic activities like thermogenesis and glucose homeostasis through non-circadian pathways.

4 Jun 2024

Stress and pain linked to worse outcomes in HER2-positive breast cancer patients

Secondary analyses of a phase 3 clinical trial have revealed that breast cancer patients who reported high levels of pain and stress were more likely than their study peers to experience worse invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and worse overall survival (OS).

31 May 2024

New molecular analysis unravels the biological mechanisms of pediatric brain tumors

A study conducted by researchers from the D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and the Rede D'Or Pathological Anatomy in conjunction with several North American institutions, including the National Cancer Institute (NIH), used new molecular analyses to unravel the biological mechanisms of pediatric brain tumors and refine their classification.

30 May 2024

Exercise-induced exerkines: Secret weapon in disease prevention and therapy

A recent review in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy highlights the role of exercise-induced molecules, exerkines, in disease prevention and treatment, emphasizing their molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

29 May 2024

Opioid receptors play unexpected role in gut nervous system development

Researchers at Rice University have revealed a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the "brain in the gut."

29 May 2024

Self-reported memory problems and partner confirmation may signal tau buildup in the brain

People who report early memory problems and whose partners also suspect they have memory problems have higher levels of tau tangles in the brain, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 29, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 May 2024

Study examines the effects of pregnant mother's epilepsy medications on child's creativity

While older drugs for epilepsy, taken while pregnant, have been shown in previous research to affect the creative thinking of children, a new study finds no effects on creativity for children born to those taking newer epilepsy drugs.

29 May 2024

Study finds Plexin-B1 could be key to Alzheimer’s treatment, enhancing glial cell response

Researchers discovered that Plexin-B1 plays a crucial role in regulating peri-plaque glial nets in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially opening new avenues for treatment by targeting this protein.

29 May 2024