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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:
- Absence Epilepsy
- Acupressure Bands for Motion Sickness
- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- After a Stroke: Helping Your Family Adjust
- Agitation and Dementia
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse in PTSD
- Alcohol Effects on a Fetus
- Alcohol Misuse and Dependence
- Alcohol Use Problem: Other Health Problems That May Occur
- 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
- Anesthesia Specialists
- Anesthesia: Health Risks
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Anosmia
- Antianxiety Medicines for Tension Headaches
- Antidepressant Withdrawal
- Antidepressants for Migraine Headaches
- Antidepressants for Tension Headaches
- Apolipoprotein E-4 Genetic (DNA) Test
- Aspirin for Pain, Fever, and Inflammation
- Assistive Devices for People With Disabilities
- Aura and Seizures
- Autism
- Avoiding Mercury in Fish
- Back School for Low Back Pain
- Back Surgeries for Tumors and Infections
- Bacterial Infections of the Spine
- Bell's Palsy
- Bell's Palsy: Conditions With Similar Symptoms
- 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
- Blackouts Caused by Alcohol or Drugs
- Body Mechanics
- Botulinum (Botox) Injection for Low Back Pain
- Botulism
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Aneurysm: Endovascular Embolization
- Brandt-Daroff Exercise for Vertigo
- Capsaicin
- Caregiving: Making a Home Safe
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Carotid Artery Stenting
- Carotid Endarterectomy
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Nerve Tests
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Activities to Limit
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Reducing Pain and Swelling
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Safe Posture and Movements
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy: Bathing and Grooming Tips
- Cerebral Palsy: Controversial Treatments
- Cerebral Palsy: Early Signs
- Cerebral Palsy: Help for Speech Problems
- Cerebral Palsy: Other Medical Problems
- Cerebral Palsy: Safety Tips
- Cervical Disc Herniation
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Chemical Ablation for Vertigo
- Chemo Brain
- Chronic Fatigue: Antidepressants
- Chronic Fatigue: Changing Your Schedule
- Chronic Fatigue: Getting Support
- Chronic Pain
- Chronic Pain Syndrome
- Classification and Types of Hydrocephalus
- Classification of Spinal Cord Injuries
- Cluster Headaches: Conditions With Similar Symptoms
- Cochlear Implants
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pain Management
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Concussion
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Confusion, Memory Loss, and Altered Alertness
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- Counseling for PTSD
- Deciding to Get Treatment for PTSD
- Decompressive Laminectomy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- 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
- Diabetes: Amputation for Foot Problems
- Diabetes: Lab Tests for Nerve Problems
- Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy
- Diabetic Focal Neuropathy
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Diabetic Neuropathy: Exercising Safely
- Diabetic Neuropathy: Medical History and Physical Exam
- Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
- Diagnosing Epilepsy: EEG's Limits
- Differences Between Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease
- Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
- Discectomy or Microdiscectomy for a Lumbar Herniated Disc
- Diuretics for Ménière's Disease
- Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo
- Driving a Car After a Stroke
- Dyslexia
- E. Coli Infection From Food or Water: Blood and Kidney Problems
- Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Pain
- Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
- Encephalitis
- Encephalitis: Mosquitoes and Ticks
- Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia
- Epilepsy
- Epilepsy and Driving
- Epilepsy Medicine Therapy Failure
- Epilepsy: Anterior Temporal Lobectomy
- Epilepsy: Atonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Complex Partial Seizures
- Epilepsy: Generalized Seizures
- Epilepsy: Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Myoclonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Simple Partial Seizures
- Epilepsy: Tonic Seizures
- Epley and Semont Maneuvers for Vertigo
- Evaluation and Treatment After a First Seizure
- Exercising to Prevent a Stroke
- Expert: Be Active to Help Your Back Heal
- Fainting
- Family History of Epilepsy
- Fear and Anger in PTSD
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Caring for Your Baby
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Signs That Your Child Needs to Be Evaluated
- Focal Epilepsy
- General Anesthesia
- Getting Help Around the House
- Ginger for Motion Sickness
- Grief and PTSD
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome: Immunotherapy
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger
- Head Injury, Age 4 and Older
- Headaches
- Headaches in Children
- Hearing Loss
- Heavy Sweating
- Helping a Family Member Who Has PTSD
- Helping a Person During a Seizure
- Hemispherectomy for Epilepsy
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- High Blood Pressure, Transient Ischemic Attack, and Stroke
- How Diabetes Causes Foot Problems
- How Diabetes Causes Nerve Disease
- How We Hear
- Huntington Disease Genetic Test
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Illness Patterns in Schizophrenia
- Imaging Tests for Epilepsy
- Infantile Spasms (West Syndrome)
- Interactive Tool: Are You Depressed?
- Interactive Tool: Should I Consider Surgery for My Low Back Problem?
- Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET) for Low Back Pain
- Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
- Kernicterus
- Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis
- Learning Disabilities
- Leg Problems, Noninjury
- Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
- Living With a Spinal Cord Injury
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Local Anesthesia
- Lumbar Spinal Fusion (Arthrodesis)
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Lyme Disease
- Mad Cow Disease
- Medical History and Physical Exam for Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease
- Medicine for Tourette's Disorder
- Melatonin
- Memory Problems: Issues With Driving
- Memory Problems: Tips for Helping the Person With Daily Tasks
- Memory Problems: Wandering
- Meningitis
- Meningitis and Group B Streptococci
- Meningitis and Listeria Monocytogenes
- Meningitis: Long-Term Problems
- Meningitis: Medicines for Pressure on the Brain
- Meningitis: Medicines for Seizures
- Meningitis: Short-Term Problems
- Migraine Headaches
- Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
- Mild, Moderate, and Severe Vertigo
- Misdiagnosis of Lyme Disease
- Mitochondrial Diseases
- Mobility After a Spinal Cord Injury
- Monitoring During Anesthesia
- Morton's Neuroma
- Motion Sickness
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Multiple Sclerosis and Geographic Location
- Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy
- Multiple Sclerosis Progression
- Multiple Sclerosis: Alternative Treatments
- Multiple Sclerosis: Benefits of Exercise
- Multiple Sclerosis: Bladder Problems
- Multiple Sclerosis: Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)
- Multiple Sclerosis: Medicines for Depression
- Multiple Sclerosis: Medicines for Fatigue
- Multiple Sclerosis: Medicines for Muscle Stiffness and Tremors
- Multiple Sclerosis: Mental and Emotional Problems
- Multiple Sclerosis: Mercury Dental Fillings
- Multiple Sclerosis: Modifying Your Home
- Multiple Sclerosis: MRI Results
- Multiple Sclerosis: Other Treatments Under Study
- Multiple Sclerosis: Pain Medicines
- Multiple Sclerosis: Questions About What to Expect
- Multiple Sclerosis: Treating Sexual Problems With Medicines
- Multiple Sclerosis: Urinary Tract Tests
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Managing Your Energy
- Myths About Tourette's Disorder
- Myths and Facts About Depression
- Neisseria Meningitidis
- Nerve Ablation for Chronic Pain
- Nerve Block for Pain Relief
- Nerve Function Tests for Evaluating Low Back Problems
- Nerve Stimulation for Epilepsy
- Nervous System Problems
- Neurological Exam for Parkinson's Disease
- Neurosyphilis
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Nonepileptic Seizures (NES)
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Occupational Therapy for People With Chronic Disease
- OCD Medicines Other Than SSRIs
- Office Ergonomics
- Open Carpal Tunnel Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Opioids
- Optic Neuritis
- Orthopedic Surgery for Cerebral Palsy
- Pain in a Spinal Cord Injury
- Pain Management
- Pain Management Clinic
- Pain Medicines for Diabetic Neuropathy
- Pallidotomy (Posteroventral Pallidotomy) for Parkinson's Disease
- Parkinson-Plus Syndromes
- Parkinson's Disease
- Parkinson's Disease and Depression
- Parkinson's Disease and Exercise
- Parkinson's Disease and Freezing
- Parkinson's Disease and Nutrition
- Parkinson's Disease and Sexual Problems
- Parkinson's Disease and Speech Problems
- Parkinson's Disease and Tremors
- Parkinson's Disease: Classification
- Parkinson's Disease: Eating and Drooling Problems
- Parkinson's Disease: Levodopa Versus Dopamine Agonists
- Parkinson's Disease: Modifying Your Activities and Your Home
- 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 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
- Preventing Falls in Older Adults
- Procedural Sedation
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Prolotherapy for Low Back Pain
- Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA)
- PTSD and Depression
- PTSD and Negative Coping
- PTSD and Panic Attacks
- PTSD and Physical Health Problems
- PTSD and Suicide Thoughts
- PTSD and Your Family
- PTSD Myths
- Pudendal Neuralgia
- Questions About Medicines for Epilepsy
- Questions Your Doctor May Ask Before Prescribing Medicine for Depression in Children and Teens
- Rabies
- Rabies: HRIG Injection
- Regional Anesthesia
- Rehabilitation Programs for Multiple Sclerosis
- Resorption of a Herniated Disc
- Restless Legs Syndrome
- Returning to Play After a Head Injury During a Sporting Event
- Reye Syndrome
- Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)
- Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia and the Caregiver
- Schizophrenia: Encouraging Social Skills
- Sciatica
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Seizures
- Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy
- Self-Care After a Stroke
- Serotonin Syndrome
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Shingles
- Smoking and Stroke Risk
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Spasticity
- Special Diets for Epilepsy
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions
- Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- 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
- Speech Problems From Brain or Nervous System Damage
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Areas of Research
- Spinal Cord Injury: Adapting Your Home
- Spinal Cord Injury: Assisted Cough
- Spinal Cord Injury: Autonomic Dysreflexia
- Spinal Cord Injury: Breathing Practice
- Spinal Cord Injury: Changing Your Activity Levels
- Spinal Cord Injury: Dietary Issues
- Spinal Cord Injury: Finding a Rehab Center
- Spinal Cord Injury: Flexibility Exercises
- Spinal Cord Injury: Safe Transfers To or From a Wheelchair
- Spinal Cord Injury: Sensual Exercises
- Spinal Cord Injury: Talking With Your Partner About Sex
- Spinal Cord Injury: Your Rehabilitation Team
- Spondylolisthesis
- Stages of Lyme Disease
- Stages of Sleep
- Stages of Syphilis
- Stopping Medicine for Epilepsy
- Straight-Leg Test for Evaluating Low Back Pain
- Stroke
- Stroke and TIA: Who Is Affected
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Stroke Risk and Carotid Endarterectomy
- Stroke Symptoms
- Stroke: Behavior Changes
- Stroke: Changes in Emotions
- Stroke: Common Disabilities
- Stroke: Dealing With Depression
- Stroke: Getting Dressed
- Stroke: Hesitant or Impulsive?
- Stroke: How to Prevent Another One
- Stroke: Life-Threatening Complications
- Stroke: Memory Tips
- Stroke: Perception Changes
- Stroke: Problems With Ignoring the Affected Side
- Stroke: Speech and Language Problems
- Stroke: Your Rehabilitation Team
- Stuttering
- Stuttering: Risk Factors
- Suicidal Thoughts or Threats
- Symptoms of Schizophrenia
- Talk to Others About Depression
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Teen Alcohol and Drug Use
- Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
- Temporary Confusion or Decreased Alertness
- Tension Headaches
- Thalamotomy for Parkinson's Disease
- Tips for Parents of Children With Epilepsy
- Tourette's Disorder
- Tourette's Disorder Tics
- Tourette's Disorder: Habit Reversal Training
- Tourette's Disorder: Making Home and School Life Easier
- Tourette's Disorder: Tic Triggers
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Treatment for Stroke-Related Spasticity
- Tremor
- Types of Cerebral Palsy
- Types of Multiple Sclerosis
- Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome
- Use Heat or Ice to Relieve Low Back Pain
- Vertigo: Level 1 (Easy) Balance Exercises
- Vertigo: Level 2 (Harder) Balance Exercises
- Vertigo: Senses That Help Your Balance and Position
- Vertigo: Walking Exercises
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
- Warning Signs of Dementia
- Weakness and Fatigue
- West Nile Virus
- Worried About Addiction to 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
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Electromyogram (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies
- Electronystagmogram (ENG)
- Lumbar Puncture
- Lyme Disease Test
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Head
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Spine
- Mental Health Assessment
- Myelogram
- Neuropsychological Tests
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Seizure Medicine Levels in Blood
- Self-Test for Breath Alcohol
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)
- Sleep Studies
- Vitamin B12 Test
- Alzheimer's Disease: Should I Take Medicines?
- Alzheimer's or Other Dementia: Should I Move My Relative Into Long-Term Care?
- Atrial Fibrillation: Which Anticoagulant Should I Take to Prevent Stroke?
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Should I Have Surgery?
- Depression: Should I Stop Taking My Antidepressant?
- Depression: Should I Take an Antidepressant?
- Depression: Should My Child Take Medicine to Treat Depression?
- Headaches: Should I Have Imaging Tests to Find Out What's Causing My Headaches?
- Headaches: Should I Take Medicine to Prevent Migraines?
- Headaches: Should I Take Prescription Medicine for Tension Headaches?
- Low Back Pain: Should I Have Spinal Manipulation?
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Should I Have Surgery?
- Multiple Sclerosis: Should I Start Taking Medicines for MS?
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Should I Take Medicine for OCD?
- Panic Disorder: Should I Take Medicine?
- Stroke Prevention: Should I Have a Carotid Artery Procedure?
- Stroke: Should I Move My Loved One Into Long-Term Care?
Current as of: October 9, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine