31st January 2017

Effect of Multiple Sclerosis on transmission of an

impulse (5)

The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord. They process
information from our environment and control voluntary muscle
movements to allow the body to do certain things.

To help transmit all this information in a timely manner, a fatty

substance called myelin covers the nerves. Myelin insulates the
nerves and allows them to transmit information to and from the
brain rapidly. If the myelin is disrupted in any way, the transmitted
information is not only delayed, but the brain may also misinterpret
it.

Multiple sclerosis results in destruction of the myelin surrounding

the nerves of the CNS, caused by the body's immune system
attacking the myelin sheath. This autoimmune destruction leads to
areas of demyelination (also known as plaques) in the brain and
spinal cord. These plaques disrupt the transmission of information in
the CNS and lead to the symptoms seen in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis may also cause degeneration of the myelin, which

slows action potential conduction because axon areas are no longer
insulated so the current leaks. As the disease progresses, axons and
entire neurones degenerate, leading to increasingly severe
symptoms, including paralysis and autonomic problems.