Morphometric study of the corpus callosum in Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy by magnetic resonance imaging

Sexual dimorphism and handedness in the human corpus callosum based on magnetic resonance imaging

The corpus callosum (CC) is a major anatomical and functional commissure linking the two cerebral hemispheres. With MR imaging in the sagittal plane, the corpus callosum can be depicted in great detail. Mid-sagittal magnetic resonance images of 80 normal individuals were analyzed to assess whether or not the morphology of the corpus callosum and its parts are related to sex and handedness. The subjects were 40 males (20 right-handers and 20 left-handers) and 40 females (20 right-handers and 20 left-handers). The midsagittal area of the corpus callosum was divided into seven sub-areas using Witelson's method. The most striking morphological changes concerned left-handers, who had larger areas of the anterior body, posterior body and isthmus than right-handers. In addition, right-handed males had larger rostrums and isthmuses than right-handed females. These significantly increased areas were related to handedness in right-handed males. However, left-handed males had larger anterior and posterior bodies than right-handed males. In contrast, there was no significant difference between left-handers and right-handers in females. The areas of the rostrum and posterior body of the corpus callosum increased significantly with sex in males. Moreover, there were no significant age-related changes in the total corpus callosum and sub-areas of the corpus callosum. In conclusion, these anatomical changes in corpus callosum morphology require taking the sexual definition and dominant handedness into consideration.

Regional MRI measurements of the corpus callosum: a methodological and developmental study

A technique for quantifying the midsagittal size and shape of the corpus callosum (CC) from magnetic resonance brain scans is presented. The technique utilizes the distances to the ventral and dorsal boundaries of small sectors of the CC from a reference point to compute the size and shape parameters of the CC and its subdivisions. Intrarater and interrater interclass correlation coefficients for the area measurements ranged from 0.88 to 0.99. Correlations between these automated measures and those obtained by pixel counting were equally high. The corpus callosa of 104 (57 male and 47 female) right-handed healthy children and adolescents, ages 4-18, were examined in relation to age and sex. Corpus callosum growth was most striking for the splenium and isthmus with some changes in the midbody regions. The area and perimeter of these regions increased, shapes became more compact, and the boundaries became more regular with age. The length and curvature at the anterior and posterior regions of the CC increased more rapidly in males than in females. These significant and consistent results indicate that the method is reliable and sensitive to developmental changes of the CC.