Neural Plasticity in Multiple Sclerosis: The Functional and Molecular Background.

ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disorder resulting in motor dysfunction and cognitive decline. The inflammatory and neurodegenerative changes seen in the brains of MS patients lead to progressive disability and increasing brain atrophy. The most common type of MS is characterized by episodes of clinical exacerbations and remissions. This suggests the presence of compensating mechanisms for accumulating damage. Apart from the widely known repair mechanisms like remyelination, another important phenomenon is neuronal plasticity. Initially, neuroplasticity was connected with the developmental stages of life; however, there is now growing evidence confirming that structural and functional reorganization occurs throughout our lifetime. Several functional studies, utilizing

SUBMITTER: Ksiazek-Winiarek DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4503575 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature