A. Burzynska: Why should cognitive neuroscientists care about white matter?

Abstract
White matter (WM) contains the “cables” of the brain, namely, the myelinated axons. For long, adult WM has been thought to only passively transmit electrical signals across the central nervous system, have a stable structure from development until degeneration in old age, and have little role in plasticity. However, recent animal research challenges this notion and shows that adult WM can respond to functional demands by structural modifications and, thus, is critical for plasticity. Yet, in vivo role of adult WM in individual differences in cognitive function or in cognitive decline, as well as within-person WM changes remain poorly understood. This gap could be overcome by using advanced neuroimaging techniques, sensitive to different biophysical properties of WM microstructure, such as myelin. In my talk, I will present our and others’ recent findings on 1) naturally occurring longitudinal changes in adult WM, 2) adult WM plasticity, 3) correlations of age with myelin and axonal content, and 4) modifiers of adult WM health. I will discuss these findings in the context of highly debated models of cognitive decline such as the “structural disconnection” and the “myelin” hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting the importance of studying WM to understand the structural foundations of brain activity and cognitive function.

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