CNS
Meaning of CNS: CNS designates the brain and spinal cord together, the central hub that processes information and coordinates the body's motor and sensory activity.
Definition of CNS
CNS is the abbreviation for central nervous system, made up of the brain and spinal cord. Together these structures receive sensory information from throughout the body, process and interpret it, and generate the signals that direct movement, thought, and many automatic bodily functions.
The CNS is distinguished from the peripheral nervous system, the network of nerves that extends outward from the brain and spinal cord to reach muscles, skin, and organs throughout the body. Signals travel from the periphery into the CNS for processing and back out again to produce a response.
Because the CNS coordinates such a wide range of functions, disease or injury affecting the brain or spinal cord can produce effects extending well beyond the immediate site involved, ranging from changes in movement and sensation to alterations in thinking, mood, or consciousness depending on which structures are affected.
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Used in a sentence
Imaging of the CNS was obtained to evaluate the patient's new neurological symptoms.
Good to know
Symptoms arising from the CNS can be difficult to distinguish from those arising from the peripheral nervous system without further neurological evaluation, since both can produce weakness, numbness, or altered sensation.