White matter is made of bundles of myelinated axons, whose fatty myelin sheaths give it a pale colour. In the cerebrum it lies beneath the cortex and carries signals between cortical areas, between the hemispheres and between the cortex and lower centres. Its fibres are grouped as association, commissural and projection fibres.
| Location | Deep to the cerebral cortex, surrounding the deep grey nuclei and lateral ventricles |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections | |
| Blood Supply | Deep medullary branches of the cerebral arteries; Lenticulostriate arteries; Anterior choroidal artery |
Conducts signals quickly between grey matter regions, allowing the different parts of the brain and spinal cord to work as networks.
White matter disease is common with ageing, high blood pressure and diabetes, appearing as bright patches on MRI and linked to slowed thinking, gait problems and vascular dementia. Multiple sclerosis targets central myelin, and diffuse axonal injury from rotational head trauma shears white matter tracts. Diffusion tensor imaging can map major tracts before surgery.
Autoimmune destruction of central nervous system myelin, causing patches of demyelination in the white matter with relapsing or progressive neurological symptoms.
Shearing of axons by rotational acceleration in head trauma, often causing coma with few visible changes on CT.
Chronic damage to white matter from disease of small penetrating arteries, causing lacunar strokes and cognitive decline.
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