1. White matter in learning, cognition and psychiatric disorders
- Author
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Fields, R. Douglas
- Subjects
Mental illness -- Physiological aspects ,Neurosciences -- Research ,Learning -- Physiological aspects ,Cognition -- Physiological aspects ,Myelinated neurofibrils -- Psychological aspects ,Myelinated neurofibrils -- Health aspects ,Brain research ,Health ,Psychology and mental health - Abstract
White matter is the brain region underlying the gray matter cortex, composed of neuronal fibers coated with electrical insulation called myelin. Previously of interest in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myelin is attracting new interest as an unexpected contributor to a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including depression and schizophrenia. This is stimulating research into myelin involvement in normal cognitive function, learning and IQ. Myelination continues for decades in the human brain; it is modifiable by experience, and it affects information processing by regulating the velocity and synchrony of impulse conduction between distant cortical regions. Cell-culture studies have identified molecular mechanisms regulating myelination by electrical activity, and myelin also limits the critical period for learning through inhibitory proteins that suppress axon sprouting and synaptogenesis.
- Published
- 2008