Word parts
What it means
The part of the nervous system that receives messages from the body, makes sense of them and sends back instructions. It is made of the brain and the spinal cordSPY-nul KORDThe long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.Full entry , protected by the skull, the backbone and fluid. The nerves outside it form the peripheral nervous systempuh-RIF-er-ul NER-vus SIS-tumAll the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.Full entry . Many drugs act on it: a "CNS depressant" such as an opioid or a sedative slows it down and can cause drowsiness and slow breathing.
For the nurse
When a client takes more than one CNS depressant (opioids, sedatives, alcohol), check the level of consciousness and the breathing rate and depth often. Teach the client not to drink alcohol or drive until they know how the drug affects them.
In a chart
"Avoid combining opioids and benzodiazepines: additive CNS depression."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | CNS |
|---|---|
| Spanish | sistema nervioso central |
| Also written | CNS, central-nervous-system, central nervous systems |
Related terms
neur/o
A word root that means nerve or the nervous system.
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
neuron
A nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.
peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.