Disorders of myelin

Glia are increasingly appreciated for the varied and critical roles they play in the health and disease of the nervous system. Damage or dysfunction of myelinating glia, oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, is the underlying cause of numerous neurological disorders. In this chapter, we highlight the variety of insults—inflammatory, genetic, and environmental—which lead to disorders of myelin and describe the current clinical understanding of the major myelin diseases. We also highlight the current advances in myelin disease research that are moving us steadily closer to meaningful therapies for patients.