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Head and nerves

Nose, eyes, ears and mouth - four of the five senses are centred in the head. They lie right next to the centre of the body's intelligence system, the brain. It makes decisions and plans, and triggers quick reactions of the body's muscles by communicating across a chain of nerves. The brain and nerves also regulate a lot of body activity of which we are unaware. Blood pressure, heartbeat and some hormones are also steered by instructions from nerves in the brain.

Feature: Age-related macular degeneration

The retina in the eye is an impressive organ. With more than 120 million light-sensitive cells it converts light into messages to the brain in fractions of a second. And it is the centre of the retina, called the macula, which allows us to see particularly fine details. But it is just this part of the retina that can get damaged with age, and this can threaten our sight. Although this condition, called age-related macular degeneration, is common, the medical options for it are limited. Read here about who can benefit from at least slowing down the progress of this condition.

Feature: Coping psychologically after a stroke

Grief and sadness are normal after a stroke. But some people will become clinically depressed. You can find out about the signs of depression in our fact sheet. And we also have information on treatment and support options for patients and caregivers.

Feature: Hearing tests

In our feature on hearing you will find information about hearing tests for newborns and babies, as well as hearing screening programmes. We also explain why our hearing gets worse as we get older. A separate fact sheet could help you to understand the results of hearing tests. And we have created an illustration to show the sound pressure levels of various everyday noises - from a vacuum cleaner to thunder.

Feature: Migraines

Migraine attacks last at least four hours in adults and teenagers, and at least two hours in children. One typical symptom is a sudden, bad and pounding headache, usually on one side of the head. Read on to find out how to prevent migraine attacks and how best to cope with them when they happen.

Research summaries

After a stroke: What are the options for managing depression?

Antidepressants may not work in the way they are expected to for older people who have had strokes. The drugs might cause adverse effects such as increasing the risk of falls, so care is needed with their use. more...

Age-related macular degeneration: What can photodynamic therapy do?

Photodynamic therapy can slow down vision loss for some people with age-related macular degeneration, but it cannot restore lost vision. more...

Cataracts: How do day surgery and overnight hospital stays compare?

Patients who return straight home after cataract surgery generally have as good outcomes as those who stay overnight in hospital. more...

Headaches: What non-drug options are there?

This information is no longer available because the research analysis that it is based on is out-of-date. We will publish information on any new findings as soon as they become available. more...

Migraine in children and teenagers: Are there ways of preventing migraines without using medication?

Relaxation training plus biofeedback or behavioural training might be able to reduce migraines in children and teenagers. No specific diet has been shown to definitely prevent migraines in children, although eliminating some foods that trigger migraines might help. more...

Migraine in children and teenagers: Can taking medications or herbal products prevent attacks?

There is some research showing that several medications or herbal products might be able to prevent migraines in children and young people. However, there is not enough data on their safety and effectiveness for them to be licensed for use by children and teenagers in Germany. more...

Migraine in children and teenagers: Which drugs can relieve the symptoms?

The painkillers ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol) can relieve migraine attacks in children and teenagers and only rarely cause adverse effects. Sumatriptan nasal spray is also effective for children over the age of 12, but it causes more adverse effects. more...

Dementia in Alzheimer's disease: Can Ginkgo help?

Ginkgo biloba could help some people with Alzheimer’s disease to perform daily tasks again. Adverse effects are not very common, but interactions with other medications cannot be ruled out. more...

Dementia in Alzheimer's disease: How well do cholinesterase inhibitors work?

Cholinesterase inhibitors can slightly delay the loss of brain function in people who have mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This means that they may help people to remain independent in everyday life for longer. It is not clear whether cholinesterase inhibitors work better than other treatments do. more...

Mental fitness: Does brain training when you are older help?

Brain training with special games – especially computer games – is becoming very popular. This can help improve performance in particular thinking functions like brain reaction time. However, these games have not been proven to prevent overall brain function decline in older people. more...

Screening programmes: What effects could hearing tests for newborns have?

If all newborn babies had screening tests for hearing impairment, hearing problems could be diagnosed and treated earlier. This could improve early speech development in children who are born with hearing impairments. more...

Guillain-Barré syndrome: Could corticosteroids help or delay recovery?

Corticosteroids have not been shown to improve the long-term outcome of treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Corticosteroid tablets might even delay recovery. more...