The brain, spinal cord, and nerves make up the nervous system. Together they control all the workings of the body. When something goes wrong with a part of your nervous system, you can have trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, or learning. You can also have problems with your memory, senses, or mood.

There are more than 600 neurologic diseases. Major types include:

• Diseases caused by faulty genes, such as Huntington’s disease and muscular dystrophy
• Problems with the way the nervous system develops, such as spina bifida
• Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
• Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke
• Injuries to the spinal cord and brain
• Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy
• Cancer, such as brain tumors
• infections, such as meningitis

What does the nervous system do?

The nervous system plays a role in nearly every aspect of our health and well-being. It guides everyday activities such as waking up; automatic activities such as breathing; and complex processes such as thinking, reading, remembering, and feeling emotions.

The nervous system controls:

• Brain growth and development
• Sensations (such as touch or hearing)
• Perception (the mental process of interpreting sensory information)
• Thought and emotions
• Learning and memory
• Movement, balance, and coordination
• Sleep
• Healing and rehabilitation
• Stress and the body’s responses to stress
• Aging
• Breathing and heartbeat
• Body temperature
• Hunger, thirst, and digestion
• Puberty, reproductive health, and fertility