Morphological characteristics of central demyelination and remyelination: A single‐fiber study

Abstract

Abstract The characteristics of demyelination and remyelination in the central nervous system of the cat were examined using quantitative single‐fiber analysis. Internodal length, fiber diameter, and nodal gap length were measured in single fibers teased from the spinal cord of normal animals and of animals with transient experimental cord compression. Demyelination was primarily paranodal, but longer extents of myelin loss occurred. New myelin sheaths were formed by oligodendrocytes and organized into segments bounded by nodes. The internodal length remained inappropriately short for fiber diameter 6 months after compression. The findings demonstrate that the spinal cord is capable of remyelinating after injury, but whether this contributes to functional recovery remains unknown.