968-White Matter Lesions Drive Grey Matter Inflammation

Paper Talk · May 14, 2026 · 20m

This study explores how focal white matter lesions act as primary drivers of grey matter inflammation and synaptic loss, rather than being secondary symptoms of neurodegeneration. Using an anatomically precise olivocerebellar circuit model, researchers demonstrated that demyelination triggers a transient adaptive response involving reduced neuronal activity and microglial activation around cell bodies. Spatial transcriptomics and live imaging revealed that these microglia are not inherently destructive but perform a vital neuroprotective role by remodeling circuits to facilitate repair…