Cerebral cortex expansion and folding: what have we learned?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• The human brain's large, folded cerebral cortex is vital for cognitive function and fits within the skull.
• Altered cortical size or folding is linked to intellectual disability and epilepsy.
• Cortical expansion and folding are fundamental to mammalian brain development, evolution, and cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent significant advances in understanding cerebral cortical expansion and folding.
• To integrate discoveries from diverse scientific disciplines.

Main Methods:

• Review of cellular and molecular mechanisms in cortical development and neurogenesis.
• Analysis of genetic mechanisms governing cortical fold patterns.
• Examination of biomechanical principles of cortical growth and buckling.
• Study of human diseases related to cortical development.
• Investigation of evolutionary pressures on cortical size and folding.

Main Results:

• Recent decades have yielded significant insights into the multifaceted regulation of cortical development.
• Understanding encompasses genetic, cellular, biomechanical, and evolutionary factors.
• Human disease provides critical lessons on the necessity of proper cortical development.

Conclusions:

• Cortical expansion and folding are complex, evolutionarily conserved processes essential for mammalian brain function.
• Continued interdisciplinary research is key to fully understanding human cognition's origins.