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Publisher Summary In this chapter, changes in human brain myelination are discussed in the context of development and degeneration over the life span with a focus on implications for brain function as well as brain dysfunction. Postmortem data and in vivo imaging evidence suggest that the process of myelin production and subsequent breakdown may be directly relevant to deepening understanding of the biology and function of the human brain. The inverted-U-shaped trajectories of myelination that occur over the life span may help explain the patterns of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes that define our everyday lives from the impulsiveness of youth to the wisdom of older ages. More importantly the focus on myelination trajectories of the human brain may help explain many of the unique but highly prevalent and devastating diseases that plague our species at various phases of life. The myelin model of human brain function posits that the uniquely pervasive and protracted myelination process renders a continuum of vulnerability that culminates in the later-developing oligodendrocytes. Genetic and/or environmental effects that impact myelin development and breakdown will manifest as risk factors (or protective factors) for developmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, as well as aging-related disorders such as AD and Parkinson disease. |
