Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A demyelinating disease refers to any disease affecting the nervous system where the myelin sheath surrounding neurons is damaged. [1] This damage disrupts the transmission of signals through the affected nerves, resulting in a decrease in their conduction ability.
Inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDDs), sometimes called Idiopathic (IIDDs) due to the unknown etiology of some of them, are a heterogenous group of demyelinating diseases - conditions that cause damage to myelin, the protective sheath of nerve fibers - that occur against the background of an acute or chronic inflammatory process.
In the first group a normal and healthy myelin is destroyed by a toxic, chemical or autoimmune substance. In the second group, myelin is abnormal and degenerates. [1] The second group was denominated dysmyelinating diseases by Poser [2] Therefore, since Poser demyelinating diseases normally refers to the myelinoclastic part.
The myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells is made by cells called oligodendrocytes. In a person with MS, these cells are lost, so damaged myelin sheaths cannot be repaired.
In the PNS, myelin protein zero (MPZ or P0) has a similar role to that of PLP in the CNS in that it is involved in holding together the multiple concentric layers of glial cell membrane that constitute the myelin sheath. The primary lipid of myelin is a glycolipid called galactocerebroside. The intertwining hydrocarbon chains of sphingomyelin ...
The nerve cells, known as neurons, carry impulses throughout the body and the nerve impulses are carried along the axon. These microscopic nerve fibers, where the action potential occurs, are protected by a white, fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates it, known as the myelin sheath.
Alexander disease causes the gradual loss of bodily functions and the ability to talk. It also causes an overload of long-chain fatty acids in the brain, which destroy the myelin sheath. The cause of Alexander disease is a mutation in the gene encoding GFAP. [2] [7] [4] [5] [11] [10] [excessive citations]
The most severely affected tissues are the myelin in the central nervous system, the adrenal cortex, and the Leydig cells in the testes. The long chain fatty acid buildup causes damage to the myelin sheath of the neurons of the brain, resulting in seizures and hyperactivity. Other symptoms include problems in speaking, listening, and ...