Central Nervous Systems and Associated Infections

Sudipa Sarkar



The Nervous System is characterized by the complex network of neurons that are responsible for all bodily functions both at conscious as well as unconscious level. This nervous system is divided into two portions – the Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). As its name implies it is central to our system – the most important nervous system structure that governs almost all the physical and mental activities. The Central Nervous System or CNS comprises of two essential parts of our body – the brain and the spinal cord. The CNS is situated within the dorsal cavity, including the brain in cranial cavity and the spinal chord in spinal cavity. The CNS is wrapped by the meninges, that of the brain by skull and for the spinal chord it is with the spinal cavity. The brain is subdivided into prosencephalon, mesencephalon and rhombencephalon. They are commonly known as forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain respectively. Again forebrain comprises of diencephalons which in turn is subdivided into thalamus and hypothalamus.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Word count of the original article: 2291 words

Reference List

1. Infections of the Central Nervous System. 2nd ed. Ed. W. M. Scheld, R. J. Whitley, and D. T. Durack. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 1997.
2. Infectious Diseases of the Central Nervous System. Ed. Kenneth L. Tyler and Joseph B. Martin. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Co., 1993.
3. Darouiche, Rabih O., et al. "Bacterial Spinal Epidural Abscess: Review of 43 Cases and Literature Survey." Medicine 71 no. 6 (1992): 369.
4. Infections of the central nervous system Critical Care Neurology Department of Neurology Columbia University
5. http://www.besthealth.com/besthealth/bodyguide/reftext/html/nerv_sys_fin.html
6. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch273/ch273b.html
7. Activity of posaconazole in the treatment of central nervous system fungal infections by Punnee Pitisuttithum, Ricardo Negroni, John R. Graybill, Beatriz Bustamante, Peter Pappas, Stanley Chapman, Roberta S. Hare and Catherine J. Hardalo
8. http://www.drugresearcher.com/news/ng.asp?n=62300-meningitis-lta-iaga