Myelin (MY-uh-lin) is the insulating sheath that forms around nerve fibers, made up of protein and fatty substances. It works like the insulation around an electrical wire, letting nerve signals travel quickly and efficiently along the nerve. When myelin is damaged, those signals slow down. In CMT, the demyelinating subtypes are those in which the problem lies primarily in the peripheral nerve myelin rather than the axon.
A Name That Does Too Much Work
Jean-Martin Charcot's name appears throughout medicine, but nowhere does it create more confusion than in the foot. Learn why the CMT foot and Charcot neuroarthropathy, also known as Charcot foot, share a name yet differ in how they develop, appear, and are managed.
