What is the brain's "white matter"? Why without it, your brain might stop working.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Our brain primarily consists of two parts: gray matter and white matter. A recent study by researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, has revealed a startling link between brain diseases. According to this research, damage to the brain's white matter can cause symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

What is the connection between white and gray matter?

The outer layer of our brain is called gray matter. This is the brain's main "processing hub," where our thinking and understanding take place. Meanwhile, white matter acts as an "information highway," connecting the gray matter.

Studies have shown that damage to this "information highway," or white matter, can lead to swelling of the gray matter, resulting in a decline in a person's ability to think, understand, and remember.

Myelin damage and its effects

The most prominent part of white matter is myelin, a protective layer that protects nerves. In autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis , our immune system begins to destroy this layer.

The researchers experimented with a small amount of damage to myelin in a single brain circuit and monitored the results. They found that:

• This small loss of myelin also caused disturbances in distant gray matter areas.
• Immune cells in the brain, called microglia, became activated.
• Due to this, the mutual connection between neurons was broken.

Brain swelling isn't always bad

This research also challenges a long-held belief that inflammation in the brain is always harmful.

The study found that as the myelin layer began to regenerate, the connections between neurons also reconnected, and the inflammation subsided on its own. Interestingly, when the scientists tried to stop this inflammation with medication, the myelin regeneration process also stalled.

This simply means that this temporary inflammation is actually a vital part of the brain's "repair process ." However, if myelin formation is completely blocked, this reaction becomes a permanent or chronic problem instead of disappearing.

A new direction in treatment

Till now, in the medical world, the main cause of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's was considered to be only the changes occurring in the grey matter, but this new study has made it clear that in future, to successfully treat neurodegenerative diseases, doctors will have to pay special attention not only to the grey matter but also to correct the damage to the white matter.

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