The Myelin Sheath as a Multilamellar Electromechanical System: Bilayer Stack Analogs, Energy Buffering, and...

The myelin sheath has traditionally been viewed as a passive electrical insulator that accelerates nerve impulse propagation. Recent experimental studies, however, indicate that myelin is a dynamic biological material whose structure and hydration state adapt to neuronal activity, metabolic conditions, and environmental perturbations. Building on these observations, we propose a conceptual framework that treats myelin as an adaptive electromechanical multilamellar interface, in which coupled lipid bilayers, hydration layers, and interlayer interactions influence energy dissipation, structural adaptation, and history-dependent behavior. Within this framework, collective excitations and delayed relaxation processes are hypothesized to contribute to transient energy storage and adaptive responses to electrical activity in the integrated axon-glia system. We further argue that testing this framework requires multimodal characterization combining electrophysiology with neutron and X-ray scattering, terahertz spectroscopy, and data-driven analysis to establish quantitative relationships between membrane structure, dynamics, and function. This work outlines experimentally testable predictions and provides a foundation for investigating how electromechanical adaptation of myelin may contribute to normal neural function and the early biophysical changes associated with demyelinating disease.