OhioHealth Online

A demyelinating disease is any condition that results in damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerves in your brain and spinal cord. When the myelin is damaged, nerve impulses slow or even stop, causing neurological problems.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease. In this disorder, your immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath or the cells that produce and maintain the myelin sheath. This causes inflammation and injury to the sheath and ultimately to the nerves that it surrounds. The result may be multiple areas of scarring (sclerosis), which can eventually slow or block nerve signals that control muscle coordination, strength, sensation and vision.

Other types of demyelinating disease include:

• Optic neuritis, a condition due to inflammation of the optic nerve in one or both eyes, which can lead to acute vision loss.
• Devic disease (neuromyelitis optica), a condition characterized by inflammation of the optic nerve and spinal cord, which may result in pain, temporary or permanent blindness, muscle weakness or paralysis.
• Transverse myelitis, a disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord, which can lead to muscle weakness, pain or paralysis.
• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a disorder due to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, which may result in headache, delirium, seizures and coma.
• Adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenomyeloneuropathy. These rare, inherited metabolic disorders can lead to mental deterioration, muscle spasms, weakness, vision loss and hearing loss.