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.

What are Schwann Cells?

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

Function of the Nervous System

Pathology of the Nervous System

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Using a psychedelic to explore the relationship between alpha waves and self-awareness

When people use a psychedelic called dimethyltryptamine (DMT), they experience a temporary loss of their sense of self. DMT interacts with a frequency of brain activity associated with self-referential processes (alpha waves), but it's unclear how this activity relates to self-awareness.

26 Nov 2025

Most public speakers at FDA advisory committees support drug approval

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees play a key role in evaluating the efficacy and safety of new drugs.

25 Nov 2025

Long-term calorie restriction can slow cellular markers of brain aging

As the brain ages, cells in the central nervous system experience metabolic dysfunction and increased oxidative damage.

25 Nov 2025

Gut nervous system controls intestinal barrier and allergy risk

An international research team led by scientists from Bern and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has identified a previously unknown function of the intestinal nervous system.

25 Nov 2025

Deficient ATP release in the brain drives depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors

In a new JNeurosci paper, Tian-Ming Gao and colleagues, from Southern Medical University, explored how adenosine triphosphate (ATP) signaling relates to depression and anxiety using male mice. ATP is a molecule that not only provides energy but also supports communication between neurons.

25 Nov 2025

New analysis shows one in two people in the U.S. live with neurological conditions

One in two people in the United States, just over half of the population, is affected by a neurological disease or disorder, according to a new systematic analysis by the American Academy of Neurology and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation published on November 24, 2025, in the journal JAMA Neurology.

24 Nov 2025

Gut neurons control immunity attack or repair

Beneath the surface of your gut lies a vast network of neurons—as many as in your spinal cord. New research from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) in Lisbon shows that in mice this "second brain" helps decide whether the immune system should go into attack mode or start repairing tissue.

24 Nov 2025

Researchers use organoids to study the earliest moments of electrical activity in the brain

Humans have long wondered when and how we begin to form thoughts. Are we born with a pre-configured brain, or do thought patterns only begin to emerge in response to our sensory experiences of the world around us? Now, science is getting closer to answering the questions philosophers have pondered for centuries.

24 Nov 2025

Study finds GLP-1 drugs improve strength and reverse aging biology in mice

Researchers showed that GLP-1 receptor agonism counteracts aging across multiple organs in mice, improving strength and reversing molecular aging signatures without meaningful effects on body weight. These benefits depended largely on hypothalamic GLP-1R signaling and closely mirrored the anti-aging patterns produced by rapamycin.

23 Nov 2025

Inflammatory biomarkers offer new insights for precision medicine in ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke, a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, is a complex cerebrovascular event with outcomes heavily influenced by the inflammatory response.

20 Nov 2025

RNA-based cocktail shows promise against glioblastoma

A patented RNA-based cocktail developed at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) has emerged as a promising active agent against tumors of the central nervous system, such as glioblastoma.

20 Nov 2025

Study highlights growing reliance on head CTs and inequities in access

A new study shows large increases in the use of computed tomography (CT) scans of the head in emergency departments across the United States from 2007 to 2022.

20 Nov 2025

Coffee protects the brain, metabolism, and immunity at the molecular level

This review uncovers the molecular networks of coffee's compounds, showcasing their antioxidant and neuroprotective effects on immunity and metabolism.

19 Nov 2025

Ticked off over preauthorization: Walk-in patient avoided Lyme disease but not a surprise bill

Leah Kovitch was pulling invasive plants in the meadow near her home one weekend in late April when a tick latched onto her leg.

18 Nov 2025

Low-glutamate diet improves migraine symptoms in veterans with Gulf War Illness

Veterans with Gulf War Illness experienced significant improvement in migraine symptoms after following a diet low in glutamate, a component of flavor enhancing food additives commonly found in processed foods, according to new research presented by Georgetown University and American University scientists.

17 Nov 2025

MD Anderson launches historic $2.5 billion campaign to end cancer

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today launches its historic $2.5 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign, Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer.

14 Nov 2025

Innovative test for Lyme disease offers hope for faster diagnosis

Researchers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center have developed a way to diagnose Lyme disease earlier and more accurately than traditional testing methods.

14 Nov 2025

Understanding leptin's dual function in MAFLD pathogenesis

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has emerged as a predominant chronic liver condition globally, intricately linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and metabolic syndrome.

14 Nov 2025

Income and social disparities found to influence dementia risk factors

People with lower incomes and people from racial and ethnic historically underrepresented groups in clinical studies are more likely to have modifiable risk factors for dementia, factors that could be changed to lower their risk, according to a study published November 12, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Nov 2025

Switching APOE4 to APOE2 in adult mice reduces Alzheimer’s pathology and improves memory

Replacing APOE4 with APOE2 in adult mice rapidly reshapes brain lipids and gene expression, even after development is complete. This switch, especially when targeted to astrocytes, reduces amyloid burden, dampens gliosis, and improves associative memory despite E2-like peripheral lipid risks.

12 Nov 2025