Development of the corpus callosum during normal growth

Abstract

Aim: Corpus callosum is the main structure communicating between the two brain hemispheres. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the corpus callosum's and cranium's shape during growth and assess their potential clinical implicationsMaterial and Methods: Cranium and corpus callosum shape data were collected from two-dimensional digital images. Generalized Procrustes analysis was used to obtain mean shapes between consecutive age groups. Shape deformation of the corpus callosum between successive age groups was evaluated using the thin-plate spline method.Results: There were significant age-based differences were in the corpus callosum and cranium shape. The most prominent deformation was seen in the posterior midbody (a corpus callosum region), while the cranium deformation was observed in the biparietal area. There were significant differences in corpus callosum shape between 1-and 2-year age groups. The diameter of the cranium increased up to the age of 4 years; however, this increase was not uniform, especially in the biparietal areas. Discussion: The skull's growth and the corpus callosum's development are not similar. The development of the corpus callosum may be a better indicator of neural development than skull enlargement.