The role of neuronal activity in promoting remyelination of the brain

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the brain and spinal cord caused by damage to white matter. In healthy brains, a substance in white matter called myelin insulates the axons (cables) of nerve cells, which speeds up electrical conduction. In MS, myelin is destroyed which impairs conduction and can lead to permanent loss of axons and nerve cells. To prevent this, we will test whether increasing electrical activity in nerve cells helps restore myelin by activating myelin-forming stem cells.