Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Neural Plast. 2018 Mar 5;2018:6436453. doi: 10.1155/2018/6436453. eCollection 2018.
The hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex are interconnected brain regions, playing central roles in higher brain functions, including learning and memory, planning complex cognitive behavior, and moderating social behavior. The axons in these regions continue to be myelinated into adulthood in humans, which coincides with maturation of personality and decision-making. Myelin consists of dense layers of lipid membranes wrapping around the axons to provide electrical insulation and trophic support and can profoundly affect neural circuit computation. Recent studies have revealed that long-lasting changes of myelination can be induced in these brain regions by experience, such as social isolation, stress, and alcohol abuse, as well as by neurological and psychiatric abnormalities. However, the mechanism and function of these changes remain poorly understood. Myelin regulation represents a new form of neural plasticity. Some progress has been made to provide new mechanistic insights into activity-independent and activity-dependent regulations of myelination in different experimental systems. More extensive investigations are needed in this important but underexplored research field, in order to shed light on how higher brain functions and myelination interplay in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
海马体和前额叶皮层是相互连接的大脑区域，它们在大脑的高级功能中起着核心作用，包括学习和记忆、规划复杂的认知行为以及调节社会行为。在人类中，这些区域的轴突会持续髓鞘化至成年，这与人格和决策的成熟相吻合。髓鞘由密集的脂质膜层包裹在轴突周围，提供电绝缘和营养支持，并且可以深刻地影响神经回路的计算。最近的研究表明，经验（如社交隔离、压力和酗酒）以及神经和精神异常可以诱导这些大脑区域中的髓鞘发生持久变化。然而，这些变化的机制和功能仍知之甚少。髓鞘调节代表了一种新的神经可塑性形式。在不同的实验系统中，已经取得了一些进展，为髓鞘化的非活动依赖和活动依赖调节提供了新的机制见解。在这个重要但研究不足的研究领域中，需要进行更广泛的研究，以阐明海马体和前额叶皮层中的高级大脑功能和髓鞘化是如何相互作用的。
