Cortical demyelination in multiple sclerosis: a substrate for cognitive deficits?
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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Rat Model of Widespread Cerebral Cortical Demyelination Induced by an Intracerebral Injection of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Published on: September 21, 2021
Alexandra Kutzelnigg1, Hans Lassmann
1Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4 A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
Recent studies highlight cortical demyelinated lesions as a feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology, which has received little attention so far. Here, we describe that cortical plaques are frequent and widespread, in particular in patients with primary or secondary progressive MS. Furthermore, we describe that certain cortical areas, such as the cingulated gyrus, the insular cortex and the temporobasal cortex, are more affected than others. These data indicate that cortical lesions have to be considered as an additional pathological substrate for cognitive dysfunction in MS patients.
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