Neuroactive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Referring to chemical entities that modify neural processes
2. Having properties that influence the functioning of nerve cells and neural pathways
3. Capable of altering signals or activity within the brain and nervous system

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "neuro-" joined to "active." The first part comes from Ancient Greek "neuron," meaning sinew, tendon, or cord, which is a surprise to many readers, since in modern usage it always refers to nerve tissue. Greek writers used it for the stringy connective tissue of the body, and the sense of "nerve" developed later, so the word that now names the brain's wiring began as a term for something closer to a tendon. The second part descends from Latin "activus," from "agere," to do or drive, through Old French "actif" and Middle English "actyf." Its ancestor in Greek, "energetikos," shows the same idea of effective action, so the two halves of the compound share a concept of doing things. Put together, "neuroactive" literally means something like "acting on nerves." It is a modern scientific formation, built in the same way as older medical compounds, and the prefix tells you the substance or agent works on the nervous system rather than on something else.

Synonyms: neuromodulatory