brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Overview of Demyelinating Disorders
Causes of Demyelinating Disorders
When babies are born, many of their nerves lack mature myelin sheaths. As a result, their movements are jerky, uncoordinated, and awkward. As myelin sheaths develop, movements become smoother, more purposeful, and more coordinated. Myelin sheaths do not develop normally in children with certain rare hereditary diseases, such as Tay-Sachs Disease and Sandhoff Disease , In adults, the myelin sheath can be damaged or destroyed by the following: Overview of Stroke None Infections Immune disorders Metabolic disorders Nutritional deficiencies (such as a Vitamin B12 Deficiency ) Poisons (such as Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ) Drugs or medications (such as the antibioticethambutol) Alcohol Use None Destruction of the myelin sheath is called demyelination. Some disorders that cause demyelination have no known cause. These disorders are called primary demyelinating disorders. The most common of these disorders is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) None Other primary demyelinating disorders include Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) None Adrenoleukodystrophy and Adrenomyeloneuropathy None Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy None Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) (neuromyelitis optica) Sometimes primary demyelinating disorders develop after a viral infection or vaccination against a viral infection. A likely explanation is that the virus or another substance somehow triggers the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues ( Autoimmune Disorders ). The autoimmune reaction results in inflammation, which damages the myelin sheath and the nerve fiber under it. 