Pharmacological Recruitment of Endogenous Neural Precursors to Promote Pediatric White Matter Repair: Establishing Correlations Between Visual Outcomes, Saccadic Function and MEG Oscillations in Children With Demyelinating Disorders in Comparison to Healthy Control Children

The neural circuits in our brains require a layer of insulation in order to transmit signals in a rapid and efficient fashion. This insulation is called White Matter and is comprised of a specific type of brain cell called an oligodendrocytes. Damage to brain white matter occurs following injury and in disorders like Multiple Sclerosis and results in sensory, motor, and cognitive problems. Currently there are no effective medical therapies to promote brain repair and reduce disability following damage to white matter. In this project, we hope to change the situation by encouraging the brain itself to generate new oligodendrocytes and thus new white matter. Our first step is to find measures sensitive to white matter growth.