Developmental changes in cerebral grey and white matter volume from infancy to adulthood
Abstract
In order to quantify human brain development in vivo, high resolution magnetic resonance images of 158 normal subjects from infancy to young adulthood were studied (age range 3 months–30 years, 71 males, 87 females). Data were analysed using algorithms based on voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) (an objective whole brain processing technique) to generate global volume measures of whole brain, grey matter (GM) and white matter (GM). Gender‐specific development of WM and GM volumes is characterised using a piecewise polynomial growth curve model to account for the non‐linear nature of human brain development, implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. The statistical method employed in this study proved to be successful and robust in the characterisation of brain development. The resulting growth curve parameter estimates lead to the following observations: total brain volume is demonstrated to undergo an initial rapid spurt. The total GM volume peaks during childhood and decreases thereafter, whereas total WM volume increases up to young adulthood. Relative to brain size, GM decreases and WM increases markedly over this age range in a non‐linear manner, resulting in an increasing WM‐to‐GM ratio over much of the observed age range. In addition, significant gender differences are found. In general, brain volume and total white and grey matter volume are larger in males than in females, with a time‐dependent difference over the age range studied. Over part of the observed age range females tend to have more GM volume relative to brain size and lower WM‐to‐GM ratio than males. The presented findings should be taken into account when investigating physiological and pathological changes during brain development.
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After age two, total grey-matter volume shows minimal absolute increases through childhood and decreases in adolescence, while white-matter volumes steadily increase through early adulthood, peaking around age 30.
“After age 2, total grey-matter volume shows minimal absolute increases through childhood and decreases in adolescence, whereas white-matter volumes steadily increase through early adulthood, peaking around age 30.17,18.”
From Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood (2018) · cites this paper as [17]
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Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood
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- Authors
- Groeschel, S., Vollmer, B., King, M. D., & Connelly, A.
- Affiliations
- University Children's Hospital Tübingen (DE)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Groeschel, S.
- Venue
- International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-06-30
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 481-489
- ISSN
- 0736-5748 (ISSN-L)
- 1873-474X
- OpenAlex
- W2071412356
- Cited by
- 147
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 6.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- brain development, gray matter volume, white matter volume, brain volume, sex differences, growth curve models, voxel-based morphometry, infancy, childhood, early adulthood, nonlinear growth
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aging, Brain, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Nerve Fibers, Myelinated, Neurons, Organ Size, Young Adult
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