Circular RNAs (circRNAs) own unique capabilities to communicate with nucleic 
acids and ribonucleoproteins and are emerging as indispensable compositions of 
the regulatory messages encoded in the genome. Due to lack of 3' termini, 
circRNAs are more resistant to degradation by exonuclease RNase R and possess 
greater stability than linear RNAs. Moreover, circRNAs can act as microRNA 
(miRNA) sponge and affect messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing and transcription. By 
virtue of their great stability and elaborate regulatory mechanisms of gene 
expression, circRNAs play important roles in certain physiological activities. 
The development, homeostasis and stress response of the central nervous system 
(CNS) depend upon precise temporal and spatial regulation of gene networks. 
Moreover, emerging evidence has revealed that circRNAs are spatiotemporally 
regulated and dynamically expressed during brain development; therefore, they 
can exert significant influences on CNS development and diseases. In this 
review, we highlight the biogenesis of circRNAs and their central roles in 
regulation of CNS development and diseases.