Sequence of Central Nervous System Myelination in Human Infancy. I. An Autopsy Study of Myelination
Abstract
This study establishes the sequence of myelination in a population of autopsied infants from birth through the second postnatal year. Myelination was assessed in 62 precisely defined central nervous system (CNS) sites of 162 infants with diverse diseases who were autopsied from 1972 to 1984 at Children's Hospital, Boston. The degree of myelination was graded on an ordinal scale of 0-4 using the inferior cerebellar peduncle as an internal standard. This grading system is a modification of that used for fetal myelination in the National Collaborative Perinatal Project (NCPP). The data are summarized by, median degree of myelination for each age group and site; and Ayer estimates for the age at which at least 10, 50, and 90% of infants reach a particular myelin degree in each site. "Marker" sites in the cerebrum are provided for the pathologist to compare myelination between an individual infant brain and the brains from our autopsy population. These data should be useful in identifying diverse peri- and postnatal conditions affecting myelination in human infancy. They also provide guidelines for the assessment of CNS myelination by sophisticated imaging techniques in living infants.
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Regional differences could result from different timing of oligodendrocyte maturation during post-natal development.
“These regional differences could result from different timing of oligodendrocyte maturation during post-natal development (21, 22).”
From Oligodendrocyte heterogeneity in the mouse juvenile and adult central nervous system (2016) · cites this paper as [22]
NODDI reveals regional variation in WM maturation, consistent with known asynchrony of myelination and fiber development; maturation generally proceeds from posterior to anterior, and primary motor and sensory regions develop earlier than higher-order areas.
“NODDI has also revealed a regional variation in WM maturation, which is consistent with the known asynchrony of myelination and fiber development; maturation generally proceeds from posterior to anterior, and primary motor and sensory regions develop earlier than areas of higher order functions (Brody et al., 1987;Yakolev and Lecours, 1967).”
From NODDI in clinical research (2020) · cites this paper as Brody et al., 1987
Increases in white matter occur through myelination of axons.
“Simultaneously, increases in white matter occur through myelination of axons (Brody et al., 1987; Benes et al., 1994).”
From The impact of developmental timing for stress and recovery (2015) · cites this paper as Brody et al., 1987
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- Authors
- BRODY, B. A., KINNEY, H. C., KLOMAN, A. S., & GILLES, F. H.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- KINNEY, HANNAH C.
- Venue
- Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1987-05
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 283-301
- ISSN
- 0022-3069 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2078602583
- Cited by
- 682
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 7.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- myelination, central nervous system, infant brain, inferior cerebellar peduncle, cerebrum, perinatal conditions, postnatal development
- MeSH terms
- Autopsy, Brain, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Myelin Sheath
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