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.

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

Pathology of the Nervous System

What are Schwann Cells?

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Function of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Surprising new function of immune cells uncovered: Excess weight loss prevention

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a surprising new function for immune cells: preventing excess weight loss.

10 Dec 2025

Addition of tucatinib to the standard of care delays disease progression in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

Adding tucatinib (Tukysa) to first-line maintenance therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) delayed disease progression in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, potentially extending time off chemotherapy, according to results from the phase III clinical trial HER2CLIMB-05 presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 9-12, 2025.

10 Dec 2025

SIRT3 deficiency worsens eustachian tube dysfunction during middle-ear infection

Middle-ear infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria remain among the most common pediatric illnesses worldwide.

9 Dec 2025

SwRI and Trinity researchers work on next-generation intranasal therapy for PTSD

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Trinity University are developing an intranasal (IN) drug-device combination to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

9 Dec 2025

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Supportive marital relationships are associated with lower BMI, fewer food addiction symptoms, higher oxytocin, stronger frontal brain responses to food cues, and favorable gut tryptophan metabolites. These coordinated social, neural, hormonal, and gut pathways suggest a plausible biological link between emotional support and healthier eating regulation.

8 Dec 2025

Researchers explore brain activity linking nicotine withdrawal and pain sensitivity

Abstinent smokers experience increased pain sensitivity during withdrawal, to the point that they often require more pain relief after surgery.

8 Dec 2025

Understanding the health hazards of ultrafine particles emitted by small electric home appliances

Small home appliances equipped with electric heating coils and brushed DC motors, like hair dryers, air fryers and toasters—can emit harmful tiny ultrafine particles that deteriorate indoor air quality.

8 Dec 2025

Shingles vaccination is linked to fewer dementia diagnoses and deaths in older adults

A large quasi-experimental study in Wales shows that eligibility for shingles vaccination is linked to fewer new mild cognitive impairment diagnoses and lower dementia-related mortality. Benefits appear strongest in women and are observed at multiple stages of the dementia disease course.

7 Dec 2025

Quality improvement project dramatically boosts iron deficiency screening in pregnancy

Within a year of initiation, a multidisciplinary project to improve screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy resulted in a sixfold rise in screening rates for iron deficiency in pregnant patients, a 20-fold rise in the number of intravenous (IV) iron infusions, and a significant improvement in median hemoglobin levels.

7 Dec 2025

Study reveals how viral social interactions shape resistance to antivirals

Interactions among viruses can help them succeed inside their hosts or impart vulnerabilities that make them easier to treat. Scientists are learning the ways viruses mingle inside the cells they infect, as well as the consequences of their socializing.

5 Dec 2025

Engineered herpes virus activates potent immune responses against glioblastoma

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have modified a herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) that stimulates the immune system to attack glioblastoma cells.

4 Dec 2025

Poor kidney function associated with elevated Alzheimer’s markers in the blood

People with impaired kidney function have higher levels of Alzheimer's biomarkers in their blood, but not an increased risk of dementia, according to a study published December 3, 2025, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Dec 2025

Shingles vaccine may benefit individuals already diagnosed with dementia, new study finds

An unusual public health policy in Wales may have produced the strongest evidence yet that a vaccine can reduce the risk of dementia.

2 Dec 2025

Specific DNA sequences control spinal cord injury response

After a spinal cord injury, cells in the brain and spinal cord change to cope with stress and repair tissue. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that this response is controlled by specific DNA sequences.

2 Dec 2025

Neural stem cells drive lifelong eye growth in marine bristleworms

A new study, led by the University of Vienna and the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, shows how the eyes of adult marine bristleworms continue to grow throughout life – driven by a ring of neural stem cells reminiscent of vertebrate eyes.

1 Dec 2025

Brain recordings reveal why food cravings return despite tirzepatide

Researchers investigate the effects of tirzepatide on food preoccupation by influencing the brain’s mesolimbic circuitry.

1 Dec 2025

Driving behavior data may help detect early cognitive decline

Using in-vehicle driving data may be a new way to identify people who are at risk of cognitive decline, according to a study published on November 26, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Nov 2025

Comprehensive research identifies most effective ADHD treatments

The most comprehensive review to date of ADHD treatments has found that medication for children and adults, and cognitive behavioral therapy for adults, remain the most effective approaches, backed by the strongest short-term trial evidence.

26 Nov 2025

Rare inherited variants shape risk and outcomes in pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Children's National Hospital in Washington D.C. are uncovering how rare inherited genetic variants contribute to the development of brain and spinal cord tumors in children.

26 Nov 2025

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

Nervous System

Overview

Bioelectronic Medicine: Hacking Nervous System Signals for Therapeutic Benefits

Pathology of the Nervous System

What are Schwann Cells?

Feature Articles

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Function of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Surprising new function of immune cells uncovered: Excess weight loss prevention

Addition of tucatinib to the standard of care delays disease progression in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

SIRT3 deficiency worsens eustachian tube dysfunction during middle-ear infection

SwRI and Trinity researchers work on next-generation intranasal therapy for PTSD

Supportive marriages may shape appetite control through oxytocin and the brain–gut axis

Researchers explore brain activity linking nicotine withdrawal and pain sensitivity

Understanding the health hazards of ultrafine particles emitted by small electric home appliances

Shingles vaccination is linked to fewer dementia diagnoses and deaths in older adults

Quality improvement project dramatically boosts iron deficiency screening in pregnancy

Study reveals how viral social interactions shape resistance to antivirals

Engineered herpes virus activates potent immune responses against glioblastoma

Poor kidney function associated with elevated Alzheimer’s markers in the blood

Shingles vaccine may benefit individuals already diagnosed with dementia, new study finds

Specific DNA sequences control spinal cord injury response

Neural stem cells drive lifelong eye growth in marine bristleworms

Brain recordings reveal why food cravings return despite tirzepatide

Driving behavior data may help detect early cognitive decline

Comprehensive research identifies most effective ADHD treatments

Rare inherited variants shape risk and outcomes in pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors

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

Everything you need to know about epilepsy eBook

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

Exploring electron microscopy for plant and microbial imaging at the John Innes Centre

Extending the reach of Amperia™

Nervous System

Overview

Feature Articles

The Impact of Hormones on the Nervous System

Function of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Everything you need to know about epilepsy eBook

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

Exploring electron microscopy for plant and microbial imaging at the John Innes Centre

Extending the reach of Amperia™

Newsletters you may be interested in