Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author: Dr. White matter WM occupies a large volume of the human cerebrum and is mainly composed of myelinated axons and myelin-producing glial cells.
The myelinated axons within WM are the structural foundation for efficient neurotransmission between cortical and subcortical areas. Similar to neuron-enriched gray matter areas, WM undergoes a series of changes during the process of aging.
WM malfunction can induce serious neurobehavioral and cognitive impairments. Thus, age-related changes in WM may contribute to the functional decline observed in the elderly.
In addition, aged WM becomes more susceptible to neurological disorders, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury TBI , and neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional alterations of WM in natural aging and speculate on the underlying mechanisms. Although the physiology of WM is still poorly understood relative to gray matter, WM is a rational therapeutic target for a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Keywords: Aging, white matter, stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodegeneration, myelin, axon. The central nervous system CNS has long been divided into gray and white matter based on the appearance of human brain tissue at autopsy. Gray matter is mainly composed of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, axons, and glial cells and serves to process electrical and chemical signals for the purpose of interneuronal communication.
