Have you ever wondered how the brain communicates internally and with the rest of the body? What methods of communication does the brain apply, and how does it tell your body it needs sleep or coffee? Have you ever heard of the term corpus callosum?

The corpus callosum connects the right and left hemispheres in the center. It contains more than 200 million myelinated axons. The corpus callosum is critical in body functions that require both hemispheres to work together to perform a task.

Because the left brain controls the movement of the right side of the body and vice versa, it is easy to understand the importance of the corpus callosum in effectively transmitting communication between the two hemispheres.

Function Of The Corpus CallosumThe Corpus Callosum And VisionHow Big Is The Corpus Callosum?The Anatomy Of The Corpus CallosumWhat Are Common Disorders Of The Corpus Callosum?What Happens If You Are Born Without A Corpus Callosum?How Does The Brain Communicate Without The Corpus Callosum?What Are Common Signs And Symptoms Of Agenesis?Interesting Facts About The Corpus CallosumConclusion

Function Of The Corpus Callosum

The Corpus Callosum And Vision

How Big Is The Corpus Callosum?

The Anatomy Of The Corpus Callosum

What Are Common Disorders Of The Corpus Callosum?

What Happens If You Are Born Without A Corpus Callosum?

How Does The Brain Communicate Without The Corpus Callosum?

What Are Common Signs And Symptoms Of Agenesis?

Interesting Facts About The Corpus Callosum

Conclusion

Both brain hemispheres need to communicate in all day-to-day activities such as movement of the arms and legs and while talking, walking, typing, dancing, and driving. Both hemispheres are responsible for processing language information and speech.

Thecorpus callosumdoes this complex and lighting fast processing of information without the need for the person to give it any thought. The corpus callosum is the information super highway that connects the left and right hemispheres.

The 200 to 300 million axons are made up of white matter fiber tracts. These fibers in the corpus callosum are called commissural fibers, and they are involved in the following functions -

The anterior and posterior corpus callosum has different regions or sections that are identified as follows –

The corpus callosum is shaped like an elongated C andmeasuresbetween 8 and 10 cm long and around 3.2 cm wide. A slight difference in length between male and female subjects is observed through an MRI scan.

The male corpus callosum is a few cm longer and wider than the female and is easily distinguished when observed on an MRI or CAT scan.

When Does The Corpus Callosum Start Forming?

During pregnancy, some parts of the fetus develop earlier than others. The brain starts forming during the first three weeks, and the corpus callosum forms between the 3rdand 4th months of gestation.

The corpus callosum develops with a child until it reaches full development at the age of 12, whereafter it remains the same for the rest of the person’s natural life.

Theanatomyof the corpus callosum is not complicated, and it is divided into four parts that connect the two brain hemispheres. The four parts are –

Therostrumconnects the frontal lobe orbital surfaces. It is continuous with the lamina terminalis.

Thegenuconnects the lateral and medial frontal lobe surfaces. The genu is the arched or bent area of the anterior corpus callosum, and the forceps minor projects fibers via a tract connecting them.

The elongated central area is thebody. The body’s fibers reach the surfaces of both hemispheres and wind through the corona radiata.

White matter fibers that protrude only from thebodyandspleniumare known as the tapetum and run the length of the temporal and occipital horns of the lateral ventricle.

These fibers are not found in the forceps major and are divided into two types of connections, heterotopic and homotopic.

Agenesis, or ACC, is one of the rarest disorders of the corpus callosum. This congenital disorder occurs in children that are born without a corpus callosum or born with one that is severely damaged.

This condition currently affects only 0.5% of children, or 1 in 3000, and can be the result of several factors such as –

If one parent carries a vector gene that can cause a genetic disorder of the corpus callosum, the chances are slim that it will carry over to the child; however, should both parents carry the recessive gene, the chances of the child having a defective corpus callosum climbs to 25%.

That child then carries a 50% risk of being a recessive gene carrier as well and possibly passing it on to their future children, and it seems to affect both male and female fetuses equally.

In the past, there were no tests to accurately determine congenital defects of the corpus callosum, such as the MRI or CAT scans used in modern medicine resulting in many babies with agenesis that may have gone undetected and misdiagnosed for decades.

Disabilities that may occur as a result of being born without a corpus callosum are –

On the other spectrum of babies born with agenesis, some individuals end up being high-functioning. High-functioning means –

Having a disorder of the corpus callosum is not classified as a disease. It is rather known as a congenital defect that causes other afflictions. It is possible to live a relatively normal life with agenesis of the corpus callosum.

In disorders that cause seizures or spasms, medication is prescribed to assist the individual in daily tasks.

As established, the corpus callosum is crucial in thecommunicationbetween the left and right hemispheres, so how will the brain be able to carry information back and forth without it effectively?

It has been established that the brain resting-state activity in people with agenesis and those with a normally functioning brain are similar. This means that a brain with agenesis can effectively rewire itself and reestablish a communication pathway.

What Other Conditions Are Caused By Agenesis Of The Corpus Callosum?

Agenesisof the corpus callosum causes several other conditions or abnormalities, and some of the most well-known are –

There are several other syndromes associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum, and they are as follows –

Within the first 24 months of aninfant’s development, there will be clear signs and symptoms that point to agenesis of the corpus callosum. The symptoms may not be severe and mimic other diseases, so a thorough clinical investigation is crucial.

Some of the early onset symptoms may be as follows –

Seizures are always connected to brain dysfunction and are typically the first sign and symptom of possible agenesis. Some seizures do not present as violet fits and may look like the infant or child is “stuck staring” into the distance.

Without an MRI, agenesis of the corpus callosum can remain undetected for several years, leading to wrong diagnoses and treatment. The sooner it is identified, the sooner proper treatment protocols can be implemented.

Which Other Tests Can Be Performed To Diagnose Agenesis?

Apart from the highly advancedMRI scan, other tests can be performed to help with an accurate diagnosis of agenesis or malformations of the corpus callosum.

Besides the physical presentation of disorders of the corpus callosum, the followingcognitive signscan be an identifying factor –

In the vast communication hub of the brain, where many critical functions are determined, the corpus callosum is a super highway that makes them possible. Life without a corpus callosum is not impossible, but it is highly challenging. The next time you look at a beautiful landscape, painting, or picture, thank your faithful corpus callosum for making it possible!

Related posts:Cerebral Cortex (Location, Function, Images)Anterior Cingulate CortexFacial Feedback Hypothesis (Definition + Examples)Orbitofrontal CortexWhere Is The Hypothalamus Located?

Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2022, August).Corpus Callosum (Location and Function).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/corpus-callosum/.Practical Psychology. (2022, August). Corpus Callosum (Location and Function). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/corpus-callosum/.Copy

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Practical Psychology. (2022, August).Corpus Callosum (Location and Function).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/corpus-callosum/.Practical Psychology. (2022, August). Corpus Callosum (Location and Function). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/corpus-callosum/.Copy

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