Cinnamomum cassia Presl belongs to the camphor family of evergreen trees, and its bark is used as a medicine. It contains volatile oils, polyphenols, polysaccharides, flavonoids, flavanols, and other chemical constituents that can inhibit the neuroinflammatory response, oxidative stress, and neuronal apoptosis, and provide neuroprotection, as well asimproving cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Progress in modern medicine has demonstrated that cinnamon has unique advantages in terms of the prevention and treatment of central nervous system diseases (CNSD), and cinnamon and its preparations have been widely used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The role of cinnamon for the treatment of CNSD has thus become a hot research topic; however, its mechanism of action in the nervous system has not been comprehensively outlined and summarized. This review therefore summarizes the progress in experimental research worldwide, regarding the use of cinnamon to treat CNSD, to provide an evidence base for clinical research and to develop the use of cinnamon.