Age and sex related variations in corpus callosal morphology

There is no unanimity in literature on sexual dimorphism or on age related morphophometric changes in the Corpus Callosum (CC). For comprehensive data 44 preserved human brains (22 male and 22 female) and 30 MRI scans from North-west Indian population were studied. Morphometric measurements of the CC and its subregions were taken at the midsagittal level in both the groups and subjected to statistical analysis. The only CC parameters which showed sexual dimorphism were (a) larger CC length in males in the MRI group, (b) the distance between the splenium and superior colliculus was more in males in preserved brains and (c) The distance between the genu and the fornix was more in older males than older females. Age related changes included (a) In males the distance between the genu and the fornix (in both the groups) was more in the older age group while the maximum width of the anterior half of the CC body was more in the younger age group (preserved brains) and (b) In females the height of the CC and the minimum width of the CC were more in the older females (preserved brains). No sexual dimorphism was observed in most of the CC parameters studied, including the splenium. Age related thinning of the anterior half of the CC in males could possibly be related to atrophic brain changes more common in males than females.