What Is Neuroscience?
By Zeina Moukarzel
MD-Anesthesiologist, Critical Care Physician, General Physician, Addiction Medicine
Reading Time:
1 minute
Neuroscience, frequently used in plural Neurosciences, and sometimes referred to Neural Science, is the study of the nervous system.
The nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord (central nervous system) and the nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all the body (peripheral nervous system)
Neurosciences, a large field of research, are explored by a multidisciplinary team interested in biology (neurobiology), cytology, physiology, anatomy, etc. It liaises closely with other disciplines, such as mathematics, linguistics, computer science, engineering, psychology, philosophy, chemistry and medicine. Areas of studies are multiple and different. Among them:
- Development neuroscience: how the brain forms, grows and changes
- Cognitive neuroscience: how the brain creates and controls thoughts, language, problem-solving, and memory
- Behavioral neuroscience: examines the brain areas and processes underlying actions
- Clinical neuroscience: how to treat and prevent neurological disorders
Brain is the most complex organ of the human body. There are more than 1 000 disorders of the brain and nervous system
Neurosciences are important to understand , prevent and treat neurological and psychiatric diseases, like:
- Learning and reading disorders: how a child learns to read, write, speak, and do math (dyslexia)
- Behavioral disorders: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders
- Intellectual and development disabilities: Down syndrome
- Mental Illnesses: schizophrenia, addiction, etc.
The large majority of neurosciences focus their research on the brain and how it influences cognitive function and behavior
