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Toward a better understanding of how a gyrified brain develops
Mikaela Barresi1,2, Ryan Alexander Hickmott1,2, Abdulhameed Bosakhar1
1School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|March 1, 2024
Summary
The evolution of the cerebral cortex involves folding (gyrencephalic) in some species, enhancing cognitive abilities. Recent discoveries highlight the outer subventricular zone and basal radial glial cells as crucial for this complex developmental process.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Cerebral cortex size and shape vary evolutionarily, with smooth (lissencephalic) and folded (gyrencephalic) forms.
- Gyrencephalic cortices, common in primates, offer increased surface area, thickness, and neuronal density, correlating with higher cognitive functions.
- Mechanisms driving gyrification versus lissencephaly, despite shared neurodevelopmental pathways, remain a long-standing research question.
Conclusions:
- The outer subventricular zone and basal radial glial cells are indispensable for the development of a gyrified cerebral cortex.
- Understanding the interplay of genetic, cellular, and biomechanical factors is key to fully explaining gyrification.
- This review synthesizes current knowledge, highlighting the dynamic evolution of gyrification theories.
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