Developmental Changes in the Corpus Callosum from Infancy to Early Adulthood: A Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Abstract

Previous research has reported on the development trajectory of the corpus callosum morphology. However, there have been only a few studies that have included data on infants. The goal of the present study was to examine the morphology of the corpus callosum in healthy participants of both sexes, from infancy to early adulthood. We sought to characterize normal development of the corpus callosum and possible sex differences in development. We performed a morphometric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of 114 healthy individuals, aged 1 month to 25 years old, measuring the size of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum was segmented into seven subareas of the rostrum, genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus and splenium. Locally weighted regression analysis (LOESS) indicated significant non-linear age-related changes regardless of sex, particularly during the first few years of life. After this increase, curve slopes gradually became flat during adolescence and adulthood in both sexes. Age of local maximum for each subarea of the corpus callosum differed across the sexes. Ratios of total corpus callosum and genu, posterior midbody, as well as splenium to the whole brain were significantly higher in females compared with males. The present results demonstrate that the developmental trajectory of the corpus callosum during early life in healthy individuals is non-linear and dynamic. This pattern resembles that found for the cerebral cortex, further suggesting that this period plays a very important role in neural and functional development. In addition, developmental trajectories and changes in growth do show some sex differences.

Development of the Corpus Callosum: An MRI Study

“…Table 2 shows the maturational changes in 6 linear measures according to age groups (A-J); including genu and splenial length and height, average body thickness, and total corpus callosal length. All of the measures save 1 (splenial height) increased significantly between 0-6 (A) and 13-18 months (C) of age [17] . Three measures (splenial length and height, and total length) increased significantly between 19-24 months (D) and 2-4 years (E).…”

“…In a now classic study, Rakic and Yokovlev [1] described in detail the early morphologic maturation of the corpus callosum that commences between 8 and 20 weeks of gestation. The corpus callosum arises initially from adjacent primordial structures, with crossing fibers connecting the 2 cerebral hemispheres first appearing at 12 weeks in the genu and progressing thereafter in an anterior to posterior direction to the splenium [17] . Using transvaginal ultrasonography, Malinger and Zukut [25] and Achiron and Achiron [26] independently analyzed the fetal corpus callsoum from 16-18 weeks to term.…”

“…In a much more recent investigation using MRI, Tanaka-Arakawa et al [17] examined the sex-related development of the corpus callosum in 114 individuals aged 1 month to 25 years. As in the present study, they found that all subareas of the corpus callosum increased markedly in the first 24 months in both females and males.…”

“…ed most prominently to sex differences in the shape or size of the corpus callosum with or without scaling to cerebral hemispheric area or volume [12,16,17] . Numerous studies have provided contrasting results in both immature and adult individuals, with little understanding as to why any potential differences might exist.…”

Sex Differences of Spectral Characteristics of Baseline EEG in Primary School-Aged Children

“…Объем белого вещества также преобладает у девочек при сравнении с мальчиками, но в височной доле левого полушария, в нижней теменной извилине право-го полушария, а также средней лобной извилине обоих полушарий [28]. Описаны половые различия и особен-ности строения гипоталамуса и миндалины [29], а также мозолистого тела [30].…”