Human health and medicine

Nervous tissue

Nervous tissue, also called neural tissue, is the excitable tissue of the nervous system composed of neurons and glial cells (neuroglia), with six glial types across CNS and PNS, myelin from oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, and the neuron doctrine of Cajal and Golgi as its foundation.

NESCAV syndrome

NESCAV syndrome, formerly autosomal dominant intellectual disability type 9, is a rare neurodegenerative KIF1A disorder beginning in infancy, causing developmental delay, absent speech, and progressive lower-limb spasticity.

Oct 15, 2026

Nesiritide

Nesiritide (Natrecor) is a recombinant form of human B-type natriuretic peptide, approved by the FDA in 2001 as an intravenous treatment for acutely decompensated heart failure.

Nested case-control study

A nested case-control study is an epidemiological design in which each disease case arising in a cohort is matched with sampled controls from the cohort's remaining risk set.

Nestor-Guillermo progeria syndrome

Nestor-Guillermo progeria syndrome (NGPS, OMIM 614008) is an autosomal recessive BANF1 (p.Ala12Thr) premature-aging disorder with severe osteolysis, osteoporosis, and lipoatrophy but no cardiovascular or metabolic complications, giving long survival; about three cases reported.

Netarsudil

Netarsudil (Rhopressa, Rhokiinsa) is a Rho kinase and norepinephrine transporter inhibitor eye drop, 0.02% once daily, approved 2017 (FDA) for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension; lowers IOP via trabecular outflow.

Netherton syndrome

Netherton syndrome (Comel-Netherton syndrome, bamboo hair syndrome): rare autosomal recessive SPINK5/LEKTI-deficiency genodermatosis with ichthyosiform erythroderma, trichorrhexis invaginata, and atopy with high IgE; incidence about 1 in 200,000 births.

NETIFLOW trial

The NETIFLOW trial was a French randomized trial comparing mineral-rich nasal irrigation with saline after endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyposis, favoring the mineral solution early.

Netivudine

Netivudine (882C87, PYaraU), an experimental 5-propynyl arabinofuranosyl uracil nucleoside antiviral, potent selective inhibitor of varicella zoster virus; reached Phase 3 but development was suspended after rodent toxicity findings.

Netrin

Netrins (from Sanskrit 'Netr', guide) are laminin-related extracellular guidance proteins, including secreted netrin-1, 3, 4 and GPI-anchored netrin G1/G2, that attract or repel migrating axons via DCC and UNC5 receptors and also act in cancer.

Netupitant

Netupitant (Ro 67-3189) is a selective NK1 receptor antagonist antiemetic, approved 2014 (FDA) and 2015 (EMA) in the fixed combination Akynzeo with palonosetron for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Network dynamics of conscious states

Network dynamics of conscious states is the study of how brain integration and segregation change across sleep, waking, and anesthesia, measured by tools like the perturbational complexity index.

Network pharmacology

Network pharmacology is a computational method that maps compounds, molecular targets, and disease pathways as graphs to generate testable hypotheses about multi-target drug action, especially in traditional Chinese medicine research.

Neu-Laxova syndrome

Neu-Laxova syndrome (NLS), also called Neu-Laxova disease, is a lethal autosomal recessive disorder caused by PHGDH, PSAT1, or PSPH mutations in the serine biosynthesis pathway, marked by ichthyosis, microcephaly, IUGR, edema, and perinatal death.

Neural autoantibody positive

Neural autoantibody positive (ICD-11 MA14.1A, 神経系自己抗体陽性) is a laboratory finding of antibodies against neuronal or glial antigens in serum or CSF, linked to autoimmune encephalitis and paraneoplastic syndromes but prone to false positives.

Neural computation

Neural Computation (Neural Comput.), MIT Press journal founded 1989 by Terrence Sejnowski; monthly peer-reviewed venue for theory, modeling, and statistics in neuroscience and neurally inspired AI systems.

Neural correlates of consciousness

Neural correlates of consciousness (NCC): the minimal neural mechanisms jointly sufficient for a conscious percept, defined by Crick and Koch (1990); research centers on the posterior cortical hot zone versus fronto-parietal theories, tested by adversarial collaborations and anesthesia studies.

Neural development

Neural development, also called neurodevelopment, is the process by which the nervous system forms, from the embryonic neural plate and tube through neurogenesis, migration, synaptogenesis, and lifelong synaptic pruning.

Neural plate

Neural plate: thickened columnar ectoderm induced by notochord signals during neurulation; folds into the neural tube (brain and spinal cord precursor). BMP antagonism induces it; failure of closure causes neural tube defects like spina bifida.

Neural progenitor cell

A neural progenitor cell is an undifferentiated cell derived from a neural stem cell with limited self-renewal, central to embryonic brain development and under study in clinical transplantation.

Neural Prostheses

A neural prosthesis, also called a neuroprosthesis, is a medical device that restores or substitutes for nervous system function lost to disease or injury. Cochlear implants and deep brain stimulation are leading examples.

Neural stem cell

A neural stem cell (NSC) is a self-renewing, multipotent cell that generates the neurons and glia of the nervous system, persisting into adulthood in mammals.

Neural therapy

Neural therapy is a complementary-medicine treatment that injects local anesthetics, most often procaine, into scars, nerves, ganglia, and trigger points to relieve chronic pain and illness.

Neural tube

Neural tube: embryonic epithelium with a central lumen that forms the vertebrate brain and spinal cord during neurulation (weeks 3-4 in humans); closure failure causes neural tube defects preventable by folic acid.

Neural tube defect

Neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele, are birth defects of the brain and spine from failure of the embryonic neural tube to close in early pregnancy; 400 mcg daily folic acid and 1998 US grain fortification prevent about 1,300 US cases yearly.

Neural–electrode interface and biocompatibility

The neural–electrode interface is where an implanted electrode meets living neural tissue; immune reactions and scar tissue raise impedance and kill recording sites, making it the bottleneck for devices like Utah arrays and DBS leads.

Neuralgia

Neuralgia, nerve pain along a nerve's distribution; major forms are trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux), postherpetic neuralgia, and occipital neuralgia. TN incidence 12.6/100,000 person-years; carbamazepine first-line; microvascular decompression most effective surgery.

Neuralgic amyotrophy

Neuralgic amyotrophy, also called Parsonage-Turner syndrome or brachial neuritis, is a painful peripheral nerve disorder with sudden shoulder pain followed by weakness, atrophy, and sensory loss; idiopathic or autosomal dominant hereditary (SEPTIN9) forms.

Neuralink

Neuralink: neurotechnology company co-founded by Elon Musk (2016) making the N1 invasive brain-computer implant (1,024 electrodes, 64 threads, R1 robot insertion) for paralysis; 12 patients implanted by 2025, FDA breakthrough designations for Blindsight and speech.