The brain and the spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System (CNS), which is responsible for many functions, from voluntary movements like picking up an object to involuntary responses such as controlling the electrical impulses in the brain and regulating the sleep/wake cycle.

Disruption in the way the cells in the CNS communicate can lead to significant problems. An abnormality in the electrical communication between nerve cells in the brain, for example, is a root cause of epilepsy. Many disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury involve disruptions to nerve cell communication in the CNS.

A frequent disruption of the sleep/wake cycle may result from a sleep disorder, a significant health concern. Insomnia, the inability to fall or stay asleep, is probably the most well known sleep disorder. However, there are also a host of disorders associated with excessive sleepiness, the inability to maintain wakefulness or stay awake.

  

Dr. Bruno Baconnet
Senior Director
Medical Affairs
Cephalon Europe