Brain and Nervous System
Learn about the brain and nervous system
Your brain and your nervous system work together to help you do things like see, smell, taste, feel, and move. Your nervous system sends signals to your brain to control these important functions. It also takes messages from your brain to your muscles, organs, and skin. But sometimes there is a problem, and the signals can't be sent. For example, with Parkinson's disease, nerve cells in the brain break down and can't send signals, so you may have trouble moving the way you want to. Other problems, like vertigo, happen when your sensing systems send false signals to your brain.
Our topics can help you learn more about your brain and nerve symptoms. Find out about certain diseases and disorders so you can understand the best treatment for your needs. To get started, explore these brain and nervous system topics:
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Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo -
Seizures -
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) -
Diabetic Neuropathy -
Parkinson's Disease
Absence Epilepsy Abusive Head Trauma Acute Flaccid Myelitis ADHD and Hyperactivity ADHD in Adults: Behavioral Strategies ADHD Myths and Facts ADHD: Impulsivity and Inattention ADHD: Symptoms in Adults Agitation and Dementia Alcohol Problems: How to Stop Drinking Alcohol Use Disorder Altitude Sickness Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Coping With Sundowning Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Maintaining Good Nutrition Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Making the Most of Remaining Abilities Alzheimer's Disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Anesthesia Ankylosing Spondylitis Anosmia Antidepressant Withdrawal Apolipoprotein E-4 Genetic (DNA) Test Arachnoiditis Aspirin for Pain, Fever, and Inflammation Assistive Devices for People With Disabilities Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Aura and Seizures Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autonomic Dysfunction Avoiding Mercury in Fish Back School for Low Back Pain Bell's Palsy Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens Bipolar Disorder in Children: Other Health Problems That May Occur Bipolar Disorder in Children: School Issues Bipolar Disorder: Hypomanic Episodes Botulism Brain Aneurysm Brandt-Daroff Exercise for Vertigo Capsaicin Caregiving: Making a Home Safe Carole's Story: Taking Medicine Right Away to Stop a Migraine Carotid Artery Disease Carotid Artery Stenting Carotid Endarterectomy Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cerebral Palsy Cervical Disc Herniation Cervical Spinal Fusion Cervical Spinal Stenosis Cervical Spondylosis Checklist for the Home for Vertigo Chemo Brain Chronic Pain Chronic Pain Syndrome Classification of Spinal Cord Injuries Cochlear Implants Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain Management Cognitive Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years Cognitive Development, Ages 6 to 10 Years Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Concussion Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens Confusion, Memory Loss, and Altered Alertness Congenital Hydrocephalus Decompressive Laminectomy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Surgery Degenerative Disc Disease Dementia Dementia: Assessing Pain Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems Dementia: Helping a Person Avoid Confusion Dementia: Legal Issues Dementia: Medicines to Treat Behavior Changes Dementia: Support for Caregivers Dementia: Testing How Well a Person Functions Dementia: Tips for Communicating Dementia: Understanding Behavior Changes Depression Depression in Children and Teens Diabetes: Amputation for Foot Problems Diabetic Atypical Neuropathies Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy Diabetic Neuropathy Diabetic Neuropathy: Exercising Safely Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia) Discectomy for a Lumbar Herniated Disc Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo Driving a Car After a Stroke Dyslexia Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Pain Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Encephalitis Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Surgery Epilepsy Epilepsy and Driving Epilepsy: Atonic Seizures Epilepsy: Focal Aware Seizures Epilepsy: Focal Impaired Awareness Seizures Epilepsy: Generalized Seizures Epilepsy: Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures Epilepsy: Myoclonic Seizures Epilepsy: Tonic Seizures Epley and Semont Maneuvers for Vertigo Essential Tremor Evaluation and Treatment After a First Seizure Expert: Be Active to Help Your Back Heal Fainting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Focal Epilepsy General Anesthesia Guillain-Barré Syndrome Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger Head Injury, Age 4 and Older Headache Clinics Headaches Hearing Loss Heavy Sweating Helping a Person During a Seizure Hemorrhagic Stroke How ADHD Affects Your Child How Adolescent Thinking Develops How Diabetes Causes Foot Problems Huntington Disease Genetic Test Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hyperkalemia Hypokalemia Hyponatremia Increased Intracranial Pressure Infantile Spasms (West Syndrome) Insomnia Interactive Tool: Are You Depressed? Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET) for Low Back Pain Intravenous (I.V.) Regional Anesthesia Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Kernicterus Labyrinthitis Language Development Between 12 and 24 Months of Age Language Development From Age 6 to 10 Years Learning Disabilities Leg Problems, Noninjury Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Living With a Spinal Cord Injury Living With More Than One Health Problem Local Anesthesia Lumbar Herniated Disc Lumbar Spinal Fusion (Arthrodesis) Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Lumbar Spondylosis Lyme Disease Mad Cow Disease and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Medical History and Physical Exam for Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease Medicines That Can Cause Weakness or Fatigue Meditation Melatonin Memory Problems: Issues With Driving Memory Problems: Tips for Helping the Person With Daily Tasks Memory Problems: Wandering Meningitis Migraine Headache Triggers Migraine Headaches Migraine Headaches in Children Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Misdiagnosis of Lyme Disease Mitochondrial Diseases Mobility After a Spinal Cord Injury Morton's Neuroma Motion Sickness Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Multiple Sclerosis Progression Multiple Sclerosis: Bladder Problems Multiple Sclerosis: Mental and Emotional Problems Multiple Sclerosis: Modifying Your Home Multiple Sclerosis: MRI Results Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Managing Your Energy Myths About Tourette's Disorder Myths and Facts About Depression Neck Pain Neisseria Meningitidis Nerve Ablation for Chronic Pain Nerve Block for Chronic Pain Nerve Function Tests for Evaluating Low Back Problems Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy Nervous System Problems Nervous System Problems Caused by Medicines Neurosyphilis Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Nonepileptic Seizures (NES) Nonfatal Drowning Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Office Ergonomics Open Carpal Tunnel Surgery Opioids Optic Neuritis Orthopedic Surgery for Cerebral Palsy Pain Control Diary Pain Diary Pain in a Spinal Cord Injury Pain Management Pain Management Clinic Pain: Getting Help at Home Pallidotomy for Parkinson's Disease Parkinson-Plus Syndromes Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's Disease and Freezing Parkinson's Disease and Nutrition Parkinson's Disease and Tremors Parkinson's Disease: Eating and Drooling Problems Parkinson's Disease: Movement Problems From Levodopa Parkinson's Disease: Other Symptoms Percutaneous Discectomy for a Lumbar Herniated Disc Periodic Limb Movement Disorder Peripheral Nerve Blocks Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Anesthesia Peripheral Neuropathy Phantom Limb Pain and Chronic Pain Pinched Nerve In or Near the Elbow Post-Polio Syndrome Pregnancy and Epilepsy Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pressure Injuries From Scuba Diving Progressive Muscle Relaxation Prolotherapy for Low Back Pain Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) Pudendal Neuralgia Rabies Regional Anesthesia Rehabilitation Programs for Multiple Sclerosis Restless Legs Syndrome Returning to Play After a Head Injury During a Sporting Event Reye Syndrome Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus) Sciatica Screening for Hearing Problems Sedation Seizures Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Self-Care After a Stroke Sensory and Motor Development Ages 6 to 10 Years Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months Sensory and Motor Growth in Newborns Sensory Processing Disorder Serotonin Syndrome Shingles Social Anxiety Disorder Spasticity Special Diets for Epilepsy Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions Speech and Language Development Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old Speech and Language Development: Signs of Possible Problems Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years Speech and Language Milestones, Birth to 1 Year Spina Bifida Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia Spinal Cord Injury: Abdominal Thrust Assist (Assisted Cough) Spinal Cord Injury: Adapting Your Home Spinal Cord Injury: Autonomic Dysreflexia Spinal Cord Injury: Costophrenic Assist (Assisted Cough) Spinal Cord Injury: Flexibility Exercises Spinal Cord Injury: Safe Transfers To or From a Wheelchair Spinal Cord Injury: Self-Assisted Cough Spinal Cord Injury: Sensual Exercises Spinal Cord Injury: Talking With Your Partner About Sex Spinal Manipulation Spondylolisthesis Stages of Lyme Disease Stages of Sleep Stages of Syphilis Stopping Medicine for Epilepsy Stroke Stroke Rehabilitation Stroke: Behavior Changes Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems Stroke: Changes in Emotions Stroke: Dealing With Depression Stroke: Getting Dressed Stroke: How to Prevent Another One Stroke: Memory Tips Stroke: Perception Changes Stroke: Problems With Ignoring the Affected Side Stroke: Speech and Language Problems Stroke: Your Rehabilitation Team Stuttering Talk to Others About Depression Tay-Sachs Disease Teen Alcohol and Drug Use Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Temporary Confusion or Decreased Alertness Tension Headaches Tension Headaches in Children Thalamotomy for Parkinson's Disease Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Tips for Parents of Children With Epilepsy Tourette Syndrome (TS) Tourette's Disorder: Tic Triggers Tracking Chart for Level 1 and Level 2 Exercises for Vertigo Tracking Charts for Walking for Vertigo Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Traumatic Brain Injury Types of Headache Types of Migraine Headaches Types of Multiple Sclerosis Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome Vertigo: Staying Safe When You Have Balance Problems Vertigo: Walking Exercises Vestibular Neuritis Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia Weakness and Fatigue West Nile Virus Worried About Using Opioids? Wrist Splint for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Angiogram Angiogram of the Head and Neck Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Head and Face Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Spine Cranial Ultrasound Creatine Kinase Test Electroencephalogram (EEG) Electromyogram (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies Electronystagmography (ENG) Evoked Potential Test Lyme Disease Test Magnesium (Mg) Test Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Head Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Spine Mental Health Assessment Myelogram Neurological Examination for Multiple Sclerosis Neuropsychological Tests Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Seizure Medicine Levels in Blood Test Self-Test for Breath Alcohol Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Sleep Studies Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture) Vitamin B12 Test
Alzheimer's Disease: Should I Take Medicines? Depression: Should I Take an Antidepressant? Insomnia: Should I Take Sleeping Pills? Low Back Pain: Should I Try Epidural Steroid Shots? Lumbar Herniated Disc: Should I Have Surgery? Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Should I Have Surgery? Stroke Prevention: Should I Have a Carotid Artery Procedure?
ADHD: Helping Your Child Get Things Done Bipolar Disorder: Preventing Manic Episodes Depression: Dealing With Medicine Side Effects Depression: Taking Antidepressants Safely Epilepsy: Taking Your Medicines Properly Headaches: Managing a Headache Migraines: Finding and Avoiding Triggers Stroke Recovery: Coping With Eating Problems Tension Headaches: Finding and Avoiding Triggers Vertigo: Balance Exercises
Current as of: December 20, 2023
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