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Cited by 89Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsFunctional Brain Connectivity Studies

The human cerebral cortex is neither one nor many: neuronal distribution reveals two quantitatively different zones in the gray matter, three in the white matter, and explains local variations in cortical folding

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Ribeiro, Pedro F. M., Ventura-Antunes, Lissa, Gabi, Mariana, Mota, Bruno, Grinberg, Lea T., Farfel, José M., Ferretti-Rebustini, Renata E. L., Leite, Renata E. P. +2 more·2013·Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
DOI 10.3389/fnana.2013.00028PMC PMC3759024
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Abstract

The human prefrontal cortex has been considered different in several aspects and relatively enlarged compared to the rest of the cortical areas. Here we determine whether the white and gray matter of the prefrontal portion of the human cerebral cortex have similar or different cellular compositions relative to the rest of the cortical regions by applying the Isotropic Fractionator to analyze the distribution of neurons along the entire anteroposterior axis of the cortex, and its relationship with the degree of gyrification, number of neurons under the cortical surface, and other parameters. The prefrontal region shares with the remainder of the cerebral cortex (except for occipital cortex) the same relationship between cortical volume and number of neurons. In contrast, both occipital and prefrontal areas vary from other cortical areas in their connectivity through the white matter, with a systematic reduction of cortical connectivity through the white matter and an increase of the mean axon caliber along the anteroposterior axis. These two parameters explain local differences in the distribution of neurons underneath the cortical surface. We also show that local variations in cortical folding are neither a function of local numbers of neurons nor of cortical thickness, but correlate with properties of the white matter, and are best explained by the folding of the white matter surface. Our results suggest that the human cerebral cortex is divided in two zones (occipital and non-occipital) that differ in how neurons are distributed across their gray matter volume and in three zones (prefrontal, occipital, and non-occipital) that differ in how neurons are connected through the white matter. Thus, the human prefrontal cortex has the largest fraction of neuronal connectivity through the white matter and the smallest average axonal caliber in the white matter within the cortex, although its neuronal composition fits the pattern found for other, non-occipital areas.

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  • Differences in cortical development between mice and humans limit the ability of mouse models to define mechanisms relevant to the human DS phenotype.

    “The field has typically relied on mouse models to gain understanding of the impact of T21, but differences in cortical development between mice and humans — including the complexity of progenitor types or the formation of a lissencephalic rather than gyrencephalic brain153–155 — limit their ability to define mechanisms relevant to the human phenotype.”

    From Consequences of trisomy 21 for brain development in Down syndrome (2024) · cites this paper as [154]

    The Discussion section on local variations in cortical folding discusses differences in gyrification across species and developmental mechanisms of folding. It does not identify the mouse cortex as lissencephalic, compare cortical progenitor types, or assess whether mouse models can define mechanisms of the human Down syndrome phenotype. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.73)

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Authors
Ribeiro, P. F. M., Ventura-Antunes, L., Gabi, M., Mota, B., Grinberg, L. T., Farfel, J. M., Ferretti-Rebustini, R. E. L., Leite, R. E. P., Filho, W. J., & Herculano-Houzel, S.
Affiliations
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BR)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2013
Volume
7
Pages
28-28
ISSN
1662-5129 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fnana.2013.00028
PMC
PMC3759024
OpenAlex
W1975328486
Cited by
89
References
9
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 2
FWCI
8.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Neuroanatomy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • James S. McDonnell Foundation
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
  • Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
Keywords
human cerebral cortex, prefrontal cortex, neuronal distribution, cortical gray matter, cortical white matter, axon diameter, cortical connectivity, cortical folding, cortical thickness, occipital cortex, anterior-posterior axis

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