Neural signal propagation drives everything from sensation to movement to higher cognition. When drugs alter that signaling, the effects range from surgical anesthesia to pain relief to neuromodulation therapies. We understand what these drugs do clinically. What remains less clear, particularly in peripheral nerve systems, is exactly how they alter action potential initiation and conduction at a biophysical level. For my Senior Project, I investigate how anesthetics and related pharmacological agents modify neural signal propagation. I conduct this work at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine within the Department of Otolaryngology, a setting that allows direct observation of peripheral nerve responses under controlled laboratory conditions. The project has two components. First, I build a structured “state of the art” literature synthesis analyzing how specific compounds affect conduction velocity, spike amplitude, refractory periods, and signal fidelity. This review identifies dominant mechanisms, research trends, and unresolved questions in the field. Second, under supervision, I participate in experimental investigation of nerve responses under pharmacological modulation and compare laboratory observations with published models. I expect this project to clarify how anesthetic agents influence neural conduction in ways that connect molecular mechanisms to measurable physiological outcomes. Understanding these mechanisms has implications for surgical anesthesia, pain management, and the development of neural interfaces. By pairing literature analysis with experimental investigation, I aim to strengthen the link between foundational neurophysiology and translational biomedical application.