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Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks
Published on: October 22, 2011
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Secondary instabilities modulate cortical complexity in the mammalian brain
Silvia Budday1, Paul Steinmann1, Ellen Kuhl2
1Chair of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Philosophical Magazine (Abingdon, England)
|November 3, 2015
Summary
Secondary brain folding, a dynamic process throughout life, increases brain complexity with age. This research reveals how secondary instabilities drive these changes, impacting neuronal connections and potentially neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Mammalian brain convolutions are crucial for cognitive function.
- Primary brain folds are well-understood, forming prenatally.
- Secondary brain folds are dynamic, variable, and poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms driving secondary brain folding.
- To explain the increasing complexity of the brain surface with age.
- To explore the link between secondary folding and neurological disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nonlinear field theories of mechanics.
- Incorporated the theory of finite growth.
- Analyzed critical conditions for secondary instabilities.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that continuing growth leads to brain surface bifurcation.
- Showed that secondary instabilities explain age-related increases in brain complexity.
- Identified that small geometric variations significantly impact morphogenesis.
- Linked secondary bifurcations to changes in neuronal connectivity.
Conclusions:
- Secondary instabilities are key to understanding dynamic brain surface morphogenesis.
- Morphological changes during development correlate with neuronal connection dynamics.
- Findings may inform diagnostics and treatment of neurological disorders.
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