ABSTRACT
Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) affect many millions of people worldwide and, according to the World Health Organization, account for over 11% of total deaths. They are typically divided into neuropsychiatric (or mental health) disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Examples of mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, whose incidence increases with age, affect about 7 million people in the United States, and this number is expected to increase as baby boomers age. In addition, pain is also considered a CNS disorder; whether chronic or more transient, it can be debilitating and affects roughly 17% of the population in the United States alone
