How can NEURON help to Understand Multiple Sclerosis?

NEURON is a simulation environment that allows researchers to artificially simulate neurons to study their properties. NEURON allows a scientist to run model simulations that are as simple as one neuron or as complex as a 5000 neurons. It was first developed in the 1970s by Michael Hines and Ted Carnevale at Yale University (visit their website, home of the NEURON Simulation Environment). In this tutorial, the NEURON Simulation Environment has been used to model the effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

The Biology Behind Signal Propagation

The flow of sodium and potassium ions through nodes on a nerve fiber causes an action potential to propagate. Due to the degeneration of myelin, the action potential cannot reach the node, and this inhibits further signal propagation. This is the reason behind the occurrence of Multiple Sclerosis. In this study, the goal is to observe the action potential of a demyelinating axon using the NEURON Simulation Environment.