role of mechanical factors in the morphology of the primate cerebral cortex力学因素在灵长类动物大脑皮层的形态.pdfVIP

Role of Mechanical Factors in the Morphology of the Primate Cerebral Cortex Claus C. Hilgetag1,2*, Helen Barbas2,3,4 1 School of Engineering and Science, International University Bremen, Bremen, Germany, 2 Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 3 Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 4 New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, Massachusetts, United States of America The convoluted cortex of primates is instantly recognizable in its principal morphologic features, yet puzzling in its complex finer structure. Various hypotheses have been proposed about the mechanisms of its formation. Based on the analysis of databases of quantitative architectonic and connection data for primate prefrontal cortices, we offer support for the hypothesis that tension exerted by corticocortical connections is a significant factor in shaping the cerebral cortical landscape. Moreover, forces generated by cortical folding influence laminar morphology, and appear to have a previously unsuspected impact on cellular migration during cortical development. The evidence for a significant role of mechanical factors in cortical morphology opens the possibility of constructing computational models of cortical develoment based on physical principles. Such models are particularly relevant for understanding the relationship of cortical morphology to the connectivity of normal brains, and structurally altered brains in diseases of developmental origin, such as schizophrenia and autism. Citation: Hilgetag CC, Barbas H (2006) Role of mechanical factors in the morphology of the primate cerebral cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2(3): e22. Introduction neurons [10] and blood vessels [20] in different parts of the