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Normal Development of the Corpus Callosum and Evolution of Corpus Callosum Sexual Dimorphism in Infancy
Chaw-Liang Chang1,2,3, Nan-Chang Chiu4,5, Yi-Chen Yang3
1Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Insights
Corpus callosum thickness in infants shows sexual dimorphism early on, with females having thicker measurements. This difference becomes insignificant after 2 months, suggesting maternal influences on brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- The corpus callosum is a critical white matter structure connecting the brain hemispheres.
- Understanding its development and sexual dimorphism is crucial for assessing normal brain growth.
- Existing data on early childhood corpus callosum development and sex differences is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative reference ranges for corpus callosum dimensions in infants.
- To investigate the evolution of sexual dimorphism in the corpus callosum from fetal stages through infancy.
- To provide data aiding in the interpretation of pediatric neuroimaging.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of cerebral sonograms from 236 healthy, full-term infants aged 1-6 months.
- Measurement of corpus callosum length and thickness.
- Statistical analysis to determine sex-based differences and developmental trends.
Main Results:
- Reference ranges (5th-95th percentiles) for corpus callosum dimensions were established for male and female infants.
- Female infants exhibited significantly thicker corpus callosum measurements than males during the first two months of life.
- No significant sex differences in corpus callosum thickness or length were observed after two months of age.
Conclusions:
- This study provides essential reference data for typical corpus callosum development in infancy.
- Sexual dimorphism in corpus callosum thickness is present in early infancy but diminishes by three months.
- The observed pattern of sexual dimorphism suggests potential maternal influences on early brain development.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to establish reference ranges for the corpus callosum in infancy and to clarify how sexual dimorphism evolves between the fetal stage and infancy.
Methods:
Normal sonograms from cerebral ultrasonographic examinations of 1- to 6-month-old healthy full-term infants were selected. The length and thickness of the corpus callosum were determined, and the effect of sex on these values was analyzed. Studies on corpus callosum sexual dimorphism were reviewed.
Results:
In total, sonograms from 236 1- to 6-month-old infants (120 male and 116 female) were collected, and the typical values (5th-95th percentiles) of the corpus callosum were determined for each group. During the first 2 months, with and without brain size adjustment, the corpus callosum in female infants was significantly thicker than that in male infants (mean thickness ± SD: 1 month, male infant, 1.8 ± 0.3 mm; female infant, 2.1 ± 0.3 mm; P = .005; 2 months, male infant, 1.8 ± 0.2 mm; female infant, 2.0 ± 0.3 mm; P = .002). The corpus callosum thickness of male and female infants had no significant differences after 2 months of age. Sexual dimorphism was not detected in corpus callosum length.
Conclusions:
Our study provides reference data on typical corpus callosum development in infants. In the fetal period and early infancy, the corpus callosum in female infants is thicker than that in male infants. From 3 months onward, the corpus callosum sexual dimorphism becomes insignificant throughout childhood. The evolvement of corpus callosum sexual dimorphism suggests that maternal factors may influence brain development.
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