18 Most Common Nervous System Diseases: Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

The nervous system is the command center of the body, responsible for thinking, memory, sensations, movements, and vital functions like breathing or heartbeat. It is formed by the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves and autonomic system).

When affected by disease or injury, the consequences can range from mild headaches to serious disabilities or life-threatening conditions. Below, you will find a complete guide to the 18 most common nervous system diseases, with updated explanations, symptoms, causes, treatments, and prognosis.

1. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A chronic, autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the myelin (protective sheath around nerves). This slows or blocks communication between brain and body.

Symptoms: fatigue, weakness, numbness, vision loss, balance problems.
Risk factors: female sex, family history, low vitamin D, viral infections.
Treatment: immunomodulators (ocrelizumab, natalizumab), corticosteroids for relapses, physical therapy.
Prognosis: variable; some patients remain active for decades, others develop severe disability.

2. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

A progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys motor neurons, preventing muscles from receiving signals.

Symptoms: muscle weakness, paralysis, speech and swallowing difficulties.
Risk factors: age (40–70), genetic mutations.
Treatment: riluzole and edaravone may slow progression; assistive technology helps quality of life.
Prognosis: fatal within 3–5 years in most cases.

3. Epilepsy

A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Symptoms: convulsions, loss of consciousness, staring spells, sudden confusion.
Risk factors: brain injuries, infections, stroke, genetics.
Treatment: antiepileptic drugs (lamotrigine, levetiracetam), surgery for refractory epilepsy, vagus nerve stimulation.
Prognosis: many patients live normal lives with proper treatment.

4. Headaches

Tension Headaches

The most common type; a sensation of pressure around the head.

Triggers: stress, fatigue, poor posture.
Treatment: analgesics, rest, relaxation therapy.

Cluster Headaches

Severe pain around one eye, often at night.

Triggers: smoking, alcohol.
Treatment: oxygen therapy, triptans, preventive meds.

Migraines

Recurrent headaches with nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity.

Treatment: triptans, anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies, lifestyle adjustments.

Sinus Headaches

Pain behind forehead and cheekbones, linked to sinus infections.

Treatment: decongestants, antibiotics if bacterial.

5. Stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident)

Occurs when blood supply to the brain is blocked (ischemic) or when a vessel ruptures (hemorrhagic).

Symptoms: sudden weakness, speech difficulty, facial droop, vision loss.
Risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity.
Treatment: thrombolysis (within 4.5 hours), thrombectomy, rehabilitation.
Prognosis: leading cause of disability worldwide. Recovery depends on speed of treatment.

6. Dementia (Including Alzheimer’s Disease)

A decline in memory and thinking severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Types: Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia.
Symptoms: memory loss, confusion, personality changes, poor judgment.
Treatment: cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, new drug lecanemab (2023).
Prognosis: progressive and irreversible, but early treatment may slow decline.

7. Locked-in Syndrome

Caused by brainstem damage, usually from a stroke. Patients remain conscious but are unable to move, except for eye movements.

Symptoms: complete paralysis, preserved awareness.
Treatment: supportive care, communication technology.
Prognosis: severe and disabling, lifelong dependency.

8. Mononeuropathies

Damage to a single nerve, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Symptoms: pain, numbness, weakness in the affected area.
Risk factors: repetitive motion, diabetes.
Treatment: rest, splints, steroid injections, surgery if severe.
Prognosis: good if treated early.

9. Polyneuropathy

Damage to multiple peripheral nerves, often symmetrical.

Symptoms: burning pain, tingling, numbness, weakness in hands and feet.
Causes: diabetes, alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies, toxins.
Treatment: glucose control, vitamin supplements, pain management.
Prognosis: chronic, manageable.

10. Guillain-Barré Syndrome

An autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks peripheral nerves.

Symptoms: muscle weakness, paralysis, breathing problems.
Triggers: viral/bacterial infections, COVID-19, Zika.
Treatment: intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), plasma exchange.
Prognosis: most recover, though some may have lasting weakness.

11. Neuralgias

Severe nerve pain caused by irritation or compression.

Example: trigeminal neuralgia, with stabbing facial pain.
Treatment: anticonvulsants (carbamazepine), microvascular decompression surgery, radiofrequency therapy.
Prognosis: chronic but treatable.

12. Brain and Spinal Tumors

Abnormal cell growth in the nervous system.

Types: benign (meningiomas) and malignant (glioblastomas).
Symptoms: headaches, seizures, vision loss, personality changes.
Treatment: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy.
Prognosis: variable depending on tumor type and stage.

13. Infections (Meningitis and Encephalitis)

Meningitis: inflammation of meninges.
- Symptoms: fever, stiff neck, severe headache, vomiting.
- Treatment: antibiotics, vaccines for prevention.
Encephalitis: brain inflammation, usually viral.
- Symptoms: confusion, seizures, behavior changes.
- Treatment: antivirals (acyclovir), corticosteroids, supportive care.

14. Trauma

Head and spinal injuries caused by accidents, falls, or sports.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): causes memory loss, personality changes, seizures.
Spinal Cord Injury: paralysis below the lesion.
Treatment: surgery, rehabilitation, exoskeletons.
Prognosis: depends on severity and timeliness of treatment.

15. Autonomic Dysreflexia

Occurs in people with spinal cord injuries above T6.

Symptoms: sudden hypertension, sweating, flushing.
Triggers: bladder distension, infections, skin irritation.
Treatment: remove trigger, antihypertensives.
Prognosis: lifelong risk, but controllable.

16. Parkinson’s Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement.

Symptoms: tremors, rigidity, slowness (bradykinesia), balance issues.
Treatment: levodopa, dopamine agonists, deep brain stimulation.
Prognosis: progressive but manageable with treatment.

17. Huntington’s Disease

A hereditary disease caused by a mutation in the HTT gene.

Symptoms: involuntary jerking (chorea), memory loss, mood changes.
Onset: usually 30–50 years.
Treatment: symptomatic drugs, gene therapy under research.
Prognosis: progressive and fatal (15–20 years after onset).

18. Neurodevelopmental and Other Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Symptoms: social difficulties, repetitive behaviors, restricted interests.
Treatment: behavioral therapy, educational support.
Prognosis: lifelong, but early intervention improves outcomes.

ADHD

Symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.
Treatment: stimulants (methylphenidate), cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Prognosis: may improve with age.

Cerebral Palsy

Symptoms: motor delays, stiffness, abnormal posture.
Treatment: physiotherapy, robotics, surgery.
Prognosis: non-progressive but lifelong.

Bell’s Palsy

Symptoms: sudden facial paralysis, usually one side.
Treatment: corticosteroids, antivirals.
Prognosis: most recover within weeks.

Neurofibromatosis

Symptoms: tumors in nerves, hearing loss, skin spots.
Treatment: surgery, targeted drug selumetinib.
Prognosis: variable, chronic condition.

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

Symptoms: limb weakness, tremors, seizure-like episodes without structural damage.
Treatment: physiotherapy, psychotherapy.
Prognosis: variable but treatable.

Comparative Table of Nervous System Diseases

Disease	Main Symptoms	Risk Factors	Treatments / Advances	Prognosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)	Fatigue, weakness, numbness, vision problems	Genetics, low vitamin D, female sex	Immunomodulators (ocrelizumab, natalizumab), rehab	Variable, not fatal but disabling
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)	Muscle weakness, paralysis, speech/swallowing problems	Age 40–70, family history	Riluzole, edaravone, assistive tech	Progressive, fatal (3–5 yrs avg)
Epilepsy	Recurrent seizures, loss of awareness	Brain injury, infections, genetics	Antiepileptics, vagus nerve stimulation, surgery	Variable, many controlled
Tension Headache	Band-like pressure, stress-related pain	Stress, poor posture, fatigue	Analgesics, relaxation, lifestyle	Good, episodic or chronic
Cluster Headache	Severe pain around one eye, tearing, nasal congestion	Male sex, smoking, alcohol	Oxygen therapy, triptans, preventive meds	Recurrent, but not life-threatening
Migraine	Intense headache, nausea, visual aura	Genetics, stress, hormonal changes	CGRP antibodies, triptans, lifestyle	Chronic, manageable
Sinus Headache	Pain behind forehead/cheekbones, congestion	Sinus infections, allergies	Decongestants, antibiotics if bacterial	Good, if treated
Stroke (CVA)	Weakness, speech loss, vision issues	Hypertension, diabetes, smoking	Thrombolysis, thrombectomy, rehab	Variable, leading cause of disability
Dementia (Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body)	Memory loss, confusion, behavior changes	Age >65, APOE4 gene, cardiovascular risks	Lecanemab (2023), cholinesterase inhibitors	Progressive, no cure
Locked-in Syndrome	Paralysis except eyes, preserved consciousness	Brainstem stroke, trauma	Supportive care, communication devices	Poor, lifelong dependency
Mononeuropathy (Carpal Tunnel)	Numbness, tingling, weakness in affected nerve	Repetitive movements, diabetes	Splints, cortisone, surgery	Good with treatment
Polyneuropathy	Numbness, burning, weakness in hands/feet	Diabetes, alcoholism, toxins	Glucose control, vitamin supplements	Chronic, manageable
Guillain-Barré Syndrome	Weakness, paralysis, respiratory issues	Recent infections (COVID-19, Zika)	IV immunoglobulin, plasma exchange	Many recover, some with sequelae
Neuralgia (e.g. trigeminal)	Severe stabbing facial pain	Vascular compression, MS	Carbamazepine, surgery, radiofrequency	Chronic, treatable
Brain/Spinal Tumors	Headache, seizures, nausea, cognitive changes	Radiation, genetics, age	Surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy	Variable (benign vs malignant)
Meningitis	Fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea	Bacterial/viral infections, lack of vaccines	Antibiotics, antivirals, vaccines	Serious if untreated, preventable
Encephalitis	Confusion, seizures, personality change	Viral infections (HSV, West Nile)	Antivirals, corticosteroids, supportive care	Variable, can be severe
Trauma (TBI, spinal injury)	Memory loss, paralysis, personality change	Falls, accidents, sports	Surgery, rehab, exoskeletons	Depends on severity
Autonomic Dysreflexia	High BP, sweating, flushing	Spinal cord injury (T6 or above)	Remove trigger, antihypertensives	Lifelong risk, controllable
Parkinson’s Disease	Tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, balance issues	Age >60, family history	Levodopa, deep brain stimulation, cell therapy research	Progressive, manageable
Huntington’s Disease	Involuntary movements, cognitive decline, mood issues	Genetic (HTT mutation)	Symptomatic drugs, gene therapy trials	Progressive, fatal (15–20 yrs)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)	Social difficulties, repetitive behaviors	Genetics, prenatal factors	Behavioral therapy, educational support	Lifelong, early intervention helps
ADHD	Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity	Family history, prenatal exposure	Stimulants (methylphenidate), therapy	Improves with age in some
Cerebral Palsy	Motor delays, stiffness, abnormal movements	Prematurity, birth complications	Physical therapy, surgery, robotics	Non-progressive, lifelong
Bell’s Palsy	Sudden facial paralysis, drooping	Viral infections, diabetes, pregnancy	Corticosteroids, antivirals	Most recover in weeks
Neurofibromatosis (NF1, NF2)	Tumors in nerves, hearing loss, skin spots	Genetic (NF1/NF2 mutations)	Surgery, selumetinib (targeted drug)	Variable, chronic
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)	Weakness, tremors, non-epileptic seizures	Stress, trauma, psychiatric comorbidity	Physiotherapy, psychotherapy	Variable, treatable

Final Thoughts

Nervous system diseases are among the most complex and impactful on health. Some, like headaches, are benign and temporary, while others, like ALS or Huntington’s, are devastating and progressive. Early diagnosis, preventive care, and new medical advances play a key role in improving prognosis and quality of life.