What is Neuroscience?

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system- the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. At it’s most basic level, neuroscience is the study of the brain and all of the things that make us human; how we think, behave, move, and the essence of who we are.

According to the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) the three main objectives of neuroscience are to:

• Understand the human brain and how it functions
• Understand and describe how the central nervous system (CNS) develops, matures, and maintains itself.
• Analyze and understand neurological and psychiatric disorders, and discover methods to prevent or cure them.

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary science that incorporates many other fields like chemistry, cognitive science, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics, neurology, genetics, and more.  Neuroscience affects almost all human functioning and is critical to developing a better understanding of conditions like addiction, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and brain tumors. Understanding the neurological factors that lead to these conditions can help scientists develop medications and other strategies to treat and prevent these issues.