Demyelination is a term used to describe the destruction of a substance called myelin that surrounds axonal fibres. This is caused by diseases that damage the myelin sheath or the cells that form it.
One of most common forms of autoimmune demyelinating disease is MS.Other autoimmune disorders that can cause demyelination include transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, central pontine myelinosis, Charcot Marie Tooth disease and leukodystrophy.
Dysmyelination on the other hand, is a term used to describe the defective structure and function of myelin sheaths. Unlike demyelination, nerve lesions are not a feature of dysmyelination.
Dysmyelination disorders often arise from hereditary mutations that affect the synthesis and formation of myelin. The disorders can be categorized into those that affect mainly the white brain matter and those that affect both the white and grey matter. Dysmyelination disorders are also referred to as leukodystrophies and the most common example is metachromatic leukodystrophy.
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