Multiple sclerosis (MS) has classically been considered a White Matter (WM) disease due to the identification of focal demyelinating lesions in WM.1
While the importance of Grey Matter (GM) in disease activity has received more attention in recent years, WM remains an important focus area of MS research.2,3
Human awareness of WM spans further back than knowledge of MS. Here, we take a look at the important milestones in the history of WM and its role in MS.
The Evolution of Our Understanding
Explore the timeline below that highlights just a few of the pivotal discoveries made throughout history that shaped the way we see White Matter today:
1543
Discovering White Matter
Vesalius first documents WM in La Fabrica, an illustrated compendium of anatomy.4
1717
Myelinated Fibers
Van Leeuwenhoek describes myelinated fibers, which had first been reported during the renaissance as WM inside the brain.4
1833
A Notable Link
Ehrenberg points to the connection between WM and GM, and between the spine and peripheral nerves.4
1835 to 1842
Locating Lesions
Cruvielhier and Gowers indicate that CNS lesions are most often found in WM such as the periventricular area, corpus callosum, and posterior cranial fossa.5
1838
Defining MS
Carswell is the first to define the pathology of multiple sclerosis, illustrating WM and GM lesions in the spinal cord, pons, and medulla.5
1900s
A White Matter Disease
Multiple sclerosis is considered to be mostly a disease marked by damage to WM, due to difficulty in visualizing GM in postmortem studies and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).2
1965
White Matter Impact
Geschwind publishes the idea that WM lesions cause impairment in higher-order functions.6
1981
Visualizing White Matter
The first time the brain is visible through MRI, showing the separation of WM and GM and demyelinating lesions.5
2018
A Featured Focus
WM remains a major focus in the study of multiple sclerosis, with close to 300 publications indexed on the topic of this disease this year.3
An Evolving Matter
Along with our general understanding of the human brain, knowledge about the neurological activity underlying in MS continues to evolve. It’s clear that WM, along with GM, will continue to be a major focus of research and consideration for clinical practice.