What does periventricular white matter mean?
Those around the center black spaces are called “periventricular white matter lesions”. Those located between the cortex and ventricles, with some space between, are just called “white matter lesions”.
What is cerebral white matter?
White matter is found in the deeper tissues of the brain (subcortical). It contains nerve fibers (axons), which are extensions of nerve cells (neurons). Many of these nerve fibers are surrounded by a type of sheath or covering called myelin. Myelin gives the white matter its color.
What is subcortical white matter?
The subcortical white matter makes up around half of the human brain volume. It is responsible for the interconnection of cortical and subcortical areas, participating in the constitution of the wide neural networks related to a host of motor, sensory, cognitive, and behavioral functions.
What is atrophy white matter?
White matter atrophy could be an indirect indicator of nerve cell loss, since the volume of a nerve cell is much smaller than its myelinated fiber.
Are white matter changes normal?
WMC are common in elderly, and they are not benign. More extensive WMC are associated with a host of poor clinical outcomes. Although WMC have been shown to be associated with small vessel disease, age, and other vascular risk factors, the exact mechanisms explaining such association are still uncertain.
What is the role of white matter?
Function. White matter is the tissue through which messages pass between different areas of grey matter within the central nervous system. This myelin is found in almost all long nerve fibers, and acts as an electrical insulation. This is important because it allows the messages to pass quickly from place to place.
How does white matter affect the brain?
White matter is tissue in the brain composed of nerve fibers. The fibers (called axons) connect nerve cells and are covered by myelin (a type of fat). The myelin is what gives white matter its white color. Myelin speeds up the signals between the cells, enabling the brain cells to quickly send and receive messages.
Is subcortical white matter normal?
Subcortical white matter builds neural connections between cortical and subcortical regions and constitutes the basis of neural networks. It plays a very important role in normal brain function. Various studies have shown that white matter deteriorates with aging.
How do you treat white matter in the brain?
White matter disease doesn’t have a cure, but there are treatments that can help manage your symptoms. The primary treatment is physical therapy. Physical therapy can help with any balance and walking difficulties you may develop.
Is there such a thing as juxtacortical white matter?
This is not the case, but rather it refers to lesions which abut the cortex 3,4, and thus involve the subcortical U-fibers . Another term which is perhaps more easily understood is leukocortical (i.e. involving both cortex and juxtacortical white matter).
What does juxtacortical stand for in medical terms?
Juxtacortical is a general term and merely denotes ‘next to cortex’ and can be used in a variety of context depending on the structure (e.g. bone, brain, kidney etc.). The term juxtacortical is most commonly encountered in the brain in the context of multiple sclerosis and is often poorly understood and misused.
Is there such a thing as juxtacortical brain lesions?
Juxtacortical brain lesions. This is not the case, but rather it refers to lesions which abut the cortex 3,4, and thus involve the subcortical u-fibers . Another term which is perhaps more easily understood is leukocortical (i.e. involving both cortex and juxtacortical white matter).
What does juxtacortical mean in the McDonald criteria?
The term juxtacortical is particularly important in the context of McDonald criteria, although oddly enough the term is not defined in either the original 2001 paper or the 2010 revision. Perhaps partly due to this, it is a term often misunderstood and thought to mean merely “sort of near the cortex”.