The pyramidal cell in cognition: a comparative study in human and monkey
Open accessAbstract
Here we present evidence that the pyramidal cell phenotype varies markedly in the cortex of different anthropoid species. Regional and species differences in the size of, number of bifurcations in, and spine density of the basal dendritic arbors cannot be explained by brain size. Instead, pyramidal cell morphology appears to accord with the specialized cortical function these cells perform. Cells in the prefrontal cortex of humans are more branched and more spinous than those in the temporal and occipital lobes. Moreover, cells in the prefrontal cortex of humans are more branched and more spinous than those in the prefrontal cortex of macaque and marmoset monkeys. These results suggest that highly spinous, compartmentalized, pyramidal cells (and the circuits they form) are required to perform complex cortical functions such as comprehension, perception, and planning.
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Pyramidal cells in different cortical regions have considerably distinct structures and the data obtained in one region cannot necessarily be applied to another.
“Second, pyramidal cells in different cortical regions have considerably distinct structures (Elston et al., 2001; Jacobs et al., 2001) and the data obtained in one region cannot necessarily be applied to another.”
From The influence of phospho-tau on dendritic spines of cortical pyramidal neurons in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (2013) · cites this paper as Elston et al., 2001
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- Authors
- Elston, G. N., Benavides-Piccione, R., & DeFelipe, J.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Instituto Cajal (ES)
- ORCID
- DeFelipe, Javier
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2001-09-01
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 17
- Pages
- RC163-RC163
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC6763111
- OpenAlex
- W1499375857
- Cited by
- 317
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 3.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council (990007)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Keywords
- pyramidal neurons, dendritic spine density, dendritic branching, cortical morphology, prefrontal cortex, macaque, marmoset, human evolution, cognitive function
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Callithrix, Cell Count, Cerebral Cortex, Cognition, Dendrites, Humans, Macaca fascicularis, Male, Middle Aged, Occipital Lobe, Phenotype, Species Specificity, Temporal Lobe, Prefrontal Cortex, Pyramidal Cells, Cell Surface Extensions
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