Myelination in the Developing Human Brain

Abstract

Myelination in the human central nervous system (CNS) is a complex but orderly process, occurring in predictable topographical and chronological sequences. CNS myelination begins as early as 12–14 weeks of gestation in the spinal cord and continues well into the fourth decade of life. The most significant period of CNS myelination, however, occurs between midgestation and the second postnatal year. Myelination can be studied by various methods, including myelin-stained histopathological brain sections and, more recently, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The latter constitutes the focus of this chapter.