Cell: challenge the routine! The myelin sheath is not insulated, it forms a highway of electrical signals in the brain

January 29, 2020 / Biovalley BIOON / - -- in a new study, researchers from the Dutch Institute of neuroscience and the Max Planck Institute of experimental medicine in Germany used a new technology to show how electrical pulses travel at high speed in the brain It seems to suggest that the myelin sheath surrounding the neurons forms a coaxial cable that generates a variety of potential waves, which travel in a much more complex way than previously thought These findings enable us to develop better theories and tools for understanding demyelinating diseases, including the most common neurological disease, multiple sclerosis The relevant research results were published in the cell Journal on January 23, 2020, and the title of the paper is "saltatory production along myeliminated axons involves a permanent nanocircuit" Picture from cell, 2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.039 The brain is made up of about 100 billion neurons All these neurons have to communicate with each other This is achieved by exchanging electrical pulses that travel at speeds up to 360 km / h "We know that this requires the presence of myelin, which is made up of multiple layers of fatty material that surround the nerve cell extension," said Maarten KOLE, co-author of the paper and professor at the Dutch Institute of neuroscience The myelin sheath is often conceptualized as the insulator that causes the electrical potential waves to "jump" along the coaxial cable we see as the "highway of the brain," but the mechanism of this jump is not clear But this research opens up a new way to understand the hardware of the brain, because it can be calculated by fast signal transmission " 12NM the researchers used an electron microscope to measure the distance between the nerve cell membrane and the insulating myelin sheath, which turned out to be 12NM, about 10000 times thinner than a hair In addition, the researchers used a new technology to make electrical signals visible and supercomputers to calculate the specific properties of myelin sheath "All of these findings together suggest that myelin is not insulated, but rather forms an extra layer like a coaxial cable, producing a variety of potential waves that travel in more complex ways than previously thought," KOLE explained Multiple sclerosis this study will also contribute to a better understanding of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis In multiple sclerosis, myelin breaks This will lead to more and more serious restrictions, affect strength, balance and coordination, and then affect the patient's ability to move In order to be able to cure and prevent multiple sclerosis, it is important to know the exact function of the myelin sheath to predict what will happen if the myelin sheath function is abnormal "Our research can now provide reliable predictions about how electrical pulses travel along the brain's highway without myelin," KOLE said These findings help to understand the cellular changes that occur in multiple sclerosis " (BIOON Com) reference: 1 Charles C.H Cohen et al Saltatory production along myeliminated axes involves a permanent nanorcui T cell, 2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.039 2 The highways of our brain https://medicaexpress.com/news/2020-01-highways-brain.html