Evoked potentials as a translatable biomarker to track functional remyelination

Publication date: Available online 26 July 2019Source: Molecular and Cellular NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Brandon J. Farley, Elena Morozova, Jessica Dion, Bin Wang, Brian D. Harvey, Davide Gianni, Brian Wipke, Diego Cadavid, Marion Wittmann, Mihaly HajosAbstractEnhancing remyelination is a key therapeutic strategy for demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. To achieve this goal, a central challenge is being able to quantitatively and longitudinally track functional remyelination, especially with translatable biomarkers that can be performed in both preclinical models and in the clinic. We developed the methodology to stably measure multi-modal sensory evoked potentials from the skull surface over the course of months in individual mice and applied it to a genetic mouse model of oligodendrocyte ablation and demyelination. We found that auditory and somatosensory evoked potential latencies reliably increased over time during the early phase of the model and recovered spontaneously and almost completely during a later phase. Histological examination supported the interpretation that the evoked potential latency changes dynamically reflect changes in CNS myelination. Specifically, we found reduction of myelination in corresponding brain regions at the time that sensory evoked potentials were maximally impacted. Importantly, we also found that myelination levels recovered when evoked potential latencies recovered. Other changes known to associate with demyelination were also...

Source: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience - July 28, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research