Abstract
The production of new myelin has been highlighted as an underappreciated mechanism of brain plasticity, but whether plastic decreases in myelin also happen in the adult brain has been largely unexplored. Recently, Sinclair et al. (Sinclair JS, Fischl MJ, Alexandrova O, Heß M, Grothe B, Leibold C, and Kopp-Scheinpflug C. J Neurosci 37: 8239–8255, 2017) have shown that auditory deprivation can lead to decrease in myelination and axon caliber even in healthy adulthood. These findings show that activity-regulated myelination is more complex than previously thought and expand our knowledge of how adult brain plasticity could operate on a cellular level.
Highlights
Myelination of axonal pathways has long been recognized as necessary for enhancing action potential conduction within the central nervous system and essential for healthy brain function
Further demonstrations of decreases in myelin thickness would be crucial to the understanding of myelin plasticity mechanisms in the adult brain
In a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Sinclair and colleagues (2017) reveal that sensory deprivation can lead to myelination reductions in healthy adult mice
Summary
Myelination of axonal pathways has long been recognized as necessary for enhancing action potential conduction within the central nervous system and essential for healthy brain function. Further demonstrations of decreases in myelin thickness would be crucial to the understanding of myelin plasticity mechanisms in the adult brain. In a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Sinclair and colleagues (2017) reveal that sensory deprivation can lead to myelination reductions in healthy adult mice.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
