White matter and neurological disorders

Abstract

The central nervous system is simply divided into two distinct anatomical regions based on the color of tissues, i.e. the gray and white matter. The gray matter is composed of neuronal cell bodies, glial cells, dendrites, immune cells, and the vascular system, while the white matter is composed of concentrated myelinated axonal fibers extending from neuronal soma and glial cells, such as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. As neuronal cell bodies are located in the gray matter, great attention has been focused mainly on the gray matter regarding the understanding of the functions of the brain throughout the neurophysiological areas, leading to a scenario in which the function of the white matter is relatively underestimated or has not received much attention. However, increasing evidence shows that the white matter plays highly significant and pivotal functions in the brain based on the fact that its abnormalities are associated with numerous neurological diseases. In this review, we will broadly discuss the pathways and functions of myelination, which is one of the main processes that modulate the functions of the white matter, as well as the manner in which its abnormalities are related to neurological disorders.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Huntington’s disease; Multiple sclerosis; Myelination; Neurological disorders; White matter.