Sequence of Central Nervous System Myelination in Human Infancy. II. Patterns of Myelination in Autopsied Infants
Abstract
The timing and synchronization of postnatal myelination in the human central nervous system (CNS) are complex. We found eight time-related patterns of CNS myelination during the first two postnatal years in autopsied infants. The intensity of myelination was graded in 162 infants with diverse diseases on an ordinal scale of degrees 0-4. The Ayer method for maximum likelihood estimates for censored data was utilized to generate curves of the temporal changes in the percent of infants with degrees 0 through 4 of myelin in 62 white matter sites. These sites fall into eight subgroups determined by the presence or absence of microscopic myelin (degree 1) at birth and the median age at which mature myelin (degree 3) is reached. There is variability in the timing of myelination within and across axonal systems, and early onset of myelination is not always followed by early myelin maturation. We reexamined general rules governing the timing of myelination proposed by previous investigators, and found that those rules are neither complete nor inviolate, and that there is a complex interplay among them. This study specifies distinct periods of maturation in which myelinating pathways are potentially vulnerable to insult during the first two postnatal years.
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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 [21]
Myelination begins prenatally and is present in many regions at birth, especially primary sensory and motor pathways including the optic radiations and internal capsule.
“Postmortem studies of white-matter myelination in the human brain find that myelination begins prenatally and is present in many regions at the time of birth, especially primary sensory and motor pathways, including the optic radiations and internal capsule210, 211.”
From Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood (2018) · cites this paper as [211]
After birth, myelination generally proceeds in sensory before motor regions, projection before association areas, and posterior before anterior regions.
“Postnatally, myelination follows a general pattern of sensory before motor regions, projection areas before associative areas, and posterior before anterior regions211.”
From Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood (2018) · cites this paper as [211]
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- Authors
- Kinney, H. C., Ann brody, B., Kloman, A. S., & Gilles, F. H.
- Affiliations
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kinney, Hannah C.
- Venue
- Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1988-05
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 217-234
- ISSN
- 0022-3069 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2050139274
- Cited by
- 888
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 63 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 7.83
- 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
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- myelination, white matter maturation, postnatal development, myelin maturation, infant brain, developmental vulnerability
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Myelin Sheath, Spinal Cord
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