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Gyrus
View on Wikipedia| Gyrus | |
|---|---|
Gyrus and sulcus | |
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A14.1.09.004 |
| TA2 | 5432 |
| FMA | 83874 |
| Anatomical terminology | |


In neuroanatomy, a gyrus (pl.: gyri) is a ridge on the cerebral cortex. It is generally surrounded by one or more sulci (depressions or furrows; sg.: sulcus).[1] Gyri and sulci create the folded appearance of the brain in humans and other mammals.
Structure
[edit]The gyri are part of a system of folds and ridges that create a larger surface area for the human brain and other mammalian brains.[2] Because the brain is confined to the skull, brain size is limited. Ridges and depressions create folds allowing a larger cortical surface area, and greater cognitive function, to exist in the confines of a smaller cranium.[3]
Development
[edit]The human brain undergoes gyrification during fetal and neonatal development. In embryonic development, all mammalian brains begin as smooth structures derived from the neural tube. A cerebral cortex without surface convolutions is lissencephalic, meaning 'smooth-brained'.[4] As development continues, gyri and sulci begin to take shape on the fetal brain, with deepening indentations and ridges developing on the surface of the cortex.[5]
Clinical significance
[edit]Changes in the structure of gyri in the cerebral cortex are associated with various diseases and disorders. Pachygyria, lissencephaly, and polymicrogyria are all the results of abnormal cell migration associated with a disorganized cellular architecture, failure to form six layers of cortical neurons (a four-layer cortex is common), and functional problems.[6] The abnormal formation is commonly associated with epilepsy and mental dysfunctions.[7]
Pachygyria (meaning "thick" or "fat" gyri) is a congenital malformation of the cerebral hemisphere, resulting in unusually thick gyri in the cerebral cortex.[8] Pachygyria is used to describe brain characteristics in association with several neuronal migration disorders; most commonly relating to lissencephaly.
Lissencephaly (smooth brain) is a rare congenital brain malformation caused by defective neuronal migration during the 12th to 24th weeks of fetal gestation resulting in a lack of development of gyri and sulci.[9]
Polymicrogyria (meaning "many small gyri") is a developmental malformation of the human brain characterized by excessive folding of the gyri and a thickening of the cerebral cortex.[10] It may be generalized, affecting the whole surface of the cerebral cortex or may be focal, affecting only parts of the surface. Polymicrogyria may be caused by mutations within several genes, including ion channels.[11]
Notable gyri
[edit]- Superior frontal gyrus, lat. gyrus frontalis superior
- Middle frontal gyrus, lat. gyrus frontalis medius
- Inferior frontal gyrus, lat. gyrus frontalis inferior with 3 parts: pars opercularis (Brodmann area 44) pars triangularis (Brodmann area 45), and pars orbitalis (orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus)
- Superior temporal gyrus, lat. gyrus temporalis superior
- Middle temporal gyrus, lat. gyrus temporalis medius
- Inferior temporal gyrus, lat. gyrus temporalis inferior
- Fusiform gyrus, lat. gyrus occipitotemporalis lateralis
- Parahippocampal gyrus, lat. gyrus parahippocampalis
- Transverse temporal gyrus
- Lingual gyrus lat. gyrus lingualis
- Precentral gyrus, lat. gyrus praecentralis
- Postcentral gyrus, lat. gyrus postcentralis
- Supramarginal gyrus, lat. gyrus supramarginalis
- Angular gyrus, lat. gyrus angularis
- Cingulate gyrus lat. gyrus cinguli
- Fornicate gyrus
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Deng, Fan; Jiang, Xi; Zhu, Dajiang; Zhang, Tuo; Li, Kaiming; Guo, Lei; Liu, Tianming (2013). "A functional model of cortical gyri and sulci". Brain Structure and Function. 219 (4): 1473–1491. doi:10.1007/s00429-013-0581-z. ISSN 1863-2653. PMC 3909019. PMID 23689502.
- ^ Marieb, Elaine N.; Hoehn, Katja (2012). Human Anatomy & Physiology (9th ed.). Pearson. ISBN 978-0321852120.
- ^ Cusack, Rhodri (April 2005). "The Intraparietal Sulcus and Perceptual Organization". Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 17 (4): 641–651. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.452.462. doi:10.1162/0898929053467541. PMID 15829084. S2CID 25453338.
- ^ Armstrong, E; Schleicher, A; Omran, H; Curtis, M; Zilles, K (1991). "The ontogeny of human gyrification". Cerebral Cortex. 5 (1): 56–63. doi:10.1093/cercor/5.1.56. PMID 7719130.
- ^ Rajagopalan, V; Scott, J; Habas, PA; Kim, K; Corbett-Detig, J; Rousseau, F; Barkovich, AJ; Glenn, OA; Studholme, C (23 February 2011). "Local tissue growth patterns underlying normal fetal human brain gyrification quantified in utero". The Journal of Neuroscience. 31 (8): 2878–87. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.5458-10.2011. PMC 3093305. PMID 21414909.
- ^ Barkovich, A. J.; Guerrini, R.; Kuzniecky, R. I.; Jackson, G. D.; Dobyns, W. B. (2012). "A developmental and genetic classification for malformations of cortical development: update 2012". Brain. 135 (5): 1348–1369. doi:10.1093/brain/aws019. ISSN 0006-8950. PMC 3338922. PMID 22427329.
- ^ Pang, Trudy; Atefy, Ramin; Sheen, Volney (2008). "Malformations of Cortical Development". The Neurologist. 14 (3): 181–191. doi:10.1097/NRL.0b013e31816606b9. ISSN 1074-7931. PMC 3547618. PMID 18469675.
- ^ Guerrini R (2005). "Genetic malformations of the cerebral cortex and epilepsy". Epilepsia. 46 (Suppl 1): 32–37. doi:10.1111/j.0013-9580.2005.461010.x. PMID 15816977. S2CID 24119081.
- ^ Dobyns WB (1987). "Developmental aspects of lissencephaly and the lissencephaly syndromes". Birth Defects Orig. Artic. Ser. 23 (1): 225–41. PMID 3472611.
- ^ Chang, B; Walsh, CA; Apse, K; Bodell, A; Pagon, RA; Adam, TD; Bird, CR; Dolan, K; Fong, MP; Stephens, K (1993). "Polymicrogyria Overview". GeneReviews. PMID 20301504.
- ^ Smith, RS; Walsh, CA (February 2020). "Ion Channel Functions in Early Brain Development". Trends in Neurosciences. 43 (2): 103–114. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2019.12.004. PMC 7092371. PMID 31959360.
Gyrus
View on GrokipediaAnatomy
Definition and gross features
A gyrus is a ridge-like elevation or convolution on the surface of the cerebral cortex, representing the raised folds formed by the infolding of the brain's outer gray matter layer.[1] These structures are integral to the macroscopic appearance of the cerebrum, where they constitute the prominent features visible upon gross examination of the brain.[4] The term "gyrus" derives from the Latin word gyrus, meaning "circle" or "ring," which aptly describes the curved, encircling pattern these ridges often form in the cortical landscape.[5] Gyri are predominantly found on the cerebral hemispheres, with notable examples including the precentral gyrus located along the posterior margin of the frontal lobe.[6] They are separated by sulci, the shallower or deeper grooves that delineate their boundaries.[7] In terms of gross morphology, gyri vary in size, rising as elevations between adjacent sulci, and their convoluted arrangement significantly expands the cortical surface area—by approximately 2.5 times relative to a hypothetical smooth cortex—as quantified by the gyrification index in human brains.[8] This folding accommodates a total cortical surface of about 2,000 cm², about 60-65% of which (approximately 1,200–1,300 cm²) is concealed within sulcal depths.[1]Microscopic structure
The gyri of the neocortex are characterized by a distinct six-layered histological architecture, comprising layers I (molecular), II (external granular), III (external pyramidal), IV (internal granular), V (internal pyramidal), and VI (multiform).[4] This layered organization is a hallmark of neocortical tissue, differentiating it from allocortical regions with fewer layers. Layer IV, in particular, functions as the primary zone for receiving thalamic afferent projections, integrating sensory and other inputs into the cortical circuitry.[9] The cellular composition of gyral neocortex features a predominance of pyramidal neurons in layers III and V, which serve as the principal excitatory output elements projecting to other cortical areas and subcortical structures. Layer IV contains abundant granule cells, including stellate variants, that facilitate local processing of incoming signals. Glial cells, such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, are distributed across all layers, providing essential structural support, metabolic maintenance, and myelination of axons.[4][10] Vascularization in gyral tissue includes dense capillary networks, particularly concentrated in the crowns of gyri relative to sulcal depths, to meet the high metabolic demands of neuronal activity; these capillaries arise primarily from branches of the cerebral arteries.[11][12] The average thickness of the gyral cortex ranges from 2.5 to 3 mm, forming a thin but densely packed gray matter mantle overlying the thicker subcortical white matter.[13] These microscopic attributes underlie the macroscopic appearance of gyri as elevated ridges on the cerebral surface.Relation to sulci and fissures
Gyri represent the elevated ridges of the cerebral cortex, bounded laterally by shallower sulci and more deeply separated by fissures, which collectively form the convoluted surface of the brain. Sulci are narrow grooves that delineate the margins of individual gyri, while fissures, such as the central sulcus (also known as the fissure of Rolando), are deeper clefts that divide larger cortical regions, like the frontal and parietal lobes. This spatial arrangement allows gyri to protrude between these indentations, creating a folded topography that maximizes cortical packing within the cranial vault.[4][14] The folding patterns of gyri exhibit diverse orientations, including transverse (e.g., Heschl's gyrus in the temporal lobe), longitudinal (e.g., superior frontal gyrus running parallel to the midline), and oblique (e.g., angular gyrus at an angle to the main axes), which interdigitate with corresponding sulci to produce the brain's characteristic convolutions. The ratio of gyral to sulcal surface area contributes significantly to cortical expansion, with about 60-65% of the total cortical surface area (around 1,200–1,300 cm² out of 2,000 cm² in adults) buried within sulci, effectively increasing the exposed surface by a factor reflected in the gyrification index of about 2.56. This configuration enhances the brain's computational capacity by accommodating more neural tissue without proportionally enlarging the skull.[4][15] Functionally, gyri often encompass relatively homogeneous regions of cortical processing, such as the precentral gyrus dedicated to motor control, while sulci serve as natural boundaries demarcating transitions between distinct areas, exemplified by the central sulcus separating primary motor and sensory cortices. This organization facilitates modular neural architecture, where sulci not only provide physical separation but also align with cytoarchitectonic borders in many cases. In neuroimaging, gyri manifest as prominent ridges of intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI scans, attributable to the dense packing of gray matter, contrasting with the brighter underlying white matter and darker cerebrospinal fluid in sulci and fissures.[16][4][17]Development and variation
Embryonic and fetal development
The development of gyri in the human cerebral cortex begins during the embryonic period and intensifies in the fetal stage, marking the transition from a smooth lissencephalic surface to a folded gyrencephalic structure. Initial signs of cortical folding emerge around gestational weeks 10 to 15, as the first primary sulci indent the cortical surface, setting the stage for gyrus formation.[3] By gestational weeks 24 to 28, primary gyri become more defined, with the cortex expanding rapidly to accommodate increased neuronal numbers and establish the foundational folding patterns observed in the mature brain.[18] This timeline reflects a hierarchical process where early folds precede more complex secondary and tertiary structures later in gestation.[19] Key mechanisms driving gyrification involve the tangential expansion of the cortical surface through proliferation of neural progenitors and the radial migration of neurons to their laminar positions. Tangential expansion arises from symmetric divisions of apical radial glial cells, increasing the number of radial units in the ventricular zone and thereby enlarging the cortical plate.[20] Radial migration occurs along radial glial scaffolds, positioning postmitotic neurons in an inside-out manner to build cortical layers, which contributes to surface buckling under mechanical stress.[21] Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating progenitor proliferation, particularly in the outer subventricular zone, where it promotes the expansion of basal progenitors essential for gyrencephalic folding.[22] Disruption of FGF pathways leads to reduced cortical surface area and impaired gyrus formation, underscoring its upstream influence on these processes.[23] Genetic factors critically influence gyrification, with mutations in specific genes disrupting neuronal migration and resulting in abnormal folding. Mutations in the LIS1 gene (also known as PAFAH1B1), which encodes a regulator of microtubule dynamics, cause classical lissencephaly characterized by a near absence of gyri due to arrested radial migration of neurons.[24] Similarly, mutations in the DCX gene, encoding doublecortin—a microtubule-associated protein—lead to subcortical band heterotopia and pachygyria, where gyri are broadly simplified or lacking, reflecting defective neuronal positioning during corticogenesis.[25] These genetic disruptions highlight the dependence of gyrus formation on precise cytoskeletal regulation during the fetal period.[26] During mid-gestation, specific fetal milestones illustrate the progressive emergence of major gyri, often driven by axonal tension and connectivity patterns. The calcarine sulcus, delineating the future cuneus and lingual gyri, first appears around gestational weeks 16 to 22, becoming fully formed as one of the earliest primary folds.[27] This development is influenced by axonal tension from growing thalamocortical and callosal fibers, which exert mechanical forces to indent the cortex and promote localized gyrus elevation.[28] Such milestones establish the basic architecture of visual and association cortices before late-gestational refinements.[29]Postnatal maturation and individual differences
The postnatal maturation of cerebral gyri involves dynamic structural changes that continue well after birth, building on embryonic foundations to refine cortical folding patterns. In the first two years of life, gyri undergo rapid expansion, driven by intense increases in cortical surface area and volume, alongside progressive myelination that thickens underlying white matter tracts and supports enhanced connectivity.[30] This phase is marked by a surge in gyrification, with a notable discontinuity at birth contributing to nearly two-thirds of postnatal folding growth, as observed in MRI studies of preterm and term infants.[31] By the end of this period, white matter maturation patterns, including denser axon packing and reduced extra-axonal water, align with gyral development, particularly in superficial layers corresponding to subplate remnants.[32] These changes stabilize progressively through childhood, with cortical thinning shifting from primary sensory-motor regions to multimodal areas, reaching relative stability by early adolescence.[30] Individual differences in gyral maturation manifest prominently in hemispheric asymmetry, particularly in language-related regions. The left hemisphere typically exhibits larger gyri in areas such as the planum temporale and Heschl's gyrus, reflecting structural bases for language lateralization, with leftward surface area asymmetries averaging +0.176 in the planum temporale.[33] Sex differences further contribute to variability, with males often displaying more pronounced folding through greater sulcal depth and overall cortical surface area, while females show higher gyral complexity in regions like the superior temporal cortex.[34] These patterns emerge early and persist, influencing developmental trajectories without altering the core timeline of maturation.[35] Population-level variations in gyral patterns are evident across ethnic groups, as revealed by MRI morphometry. For instance, East Asian individuals demonstrate greater cortical thickness in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus compared to Caucasians, potentially reflecting differences in gyral architecture adjusted for age and sex.[36] Such ethnic disparities in frontal gyral metrics, including thickness and surface area, highlight genetic and environmental influences on postnatal refinement.[37] Aging introduces gradual degenerative changes to gyri, beginning in the fourth decade with subtle neuronal loss of 2–4% that accelerates thereafter. This leads to cortical atrophy at rates of 0.2–0.5% per year in brain volume post-35, manifesting as gyral thinning and sulcal widening—approximately 0.7 mm per decade—due to expanded cerebrospinal fluid spaces and reduced gray matter density.[38] By the 50s and beyond, gyrification declines by 0.035 per decade, with pronounced effects in multimodal association areas, underscoring the impact of cumulative neuronal attrition on cortical morphology.[38]Function
General physiological role
Gyri play a crucial role in expanding the surface area of the cerebral cortex, enabling a greater number of neurons to be accommodated within the confines of the skull. This folding mechanism results in approximately a 2.5-fold increase in cortical surface area compared to an unfolded state, supporting around 16 billion neurons in the human cerebral cortex.[39][40] By forming ridges that interdigitate with sulci, gyri maximize neural packing density while maintaining a compact overall brain volume, which is essential for efficient information processing.[41] In terms of signal integration, gyri facilitate parallel processing by segregating neural inputs across their elevated surfaces, allowing distinct functional modules to operate concurrently without excessive interference. This structural arrangement promotes the exchange of information between remote gyral regions and adjacent sulcal areas, enhancing the brain's capacity for multifaceted neural computations.[42] Such segregation supports the cortex's ability to handle diverse sensory and cognitive inputs simultaneously, contributing to overall physiological efficiency. The physiological demands of gyri are heightened due to their dense synaptic connections, which drive elevated metabolic activity and oxygen consumption in gyral tissue. Synapses, concentrated in these folded regions, account for a significant portion of the brain's energy expenditure, with oxygen utilization reflecting the high energetic cost of maintaining and signaling through these neural junctions.[43] This increased metabolic rate underscores the gyri's role in sustaining the cortex's intensive computational workload. Evolutionarily, gyri confer an advantage by correlating with enhanced cognitive complexity across mammals, evolving from minimal folds in rodents to intricate patterns in primates. This progression in gyrification parallels expansions in brain size and neural capacity, enabling more sophisticated behaviors and problem-solving abilities in higher mammals, including humans.[44][45]Contributions to neural processing
Gyri facilitate neural computation through distinct patterns of connectivity that integrate local and distant cortical regions. Intra-gyral short-range connections are primarily mediated by U-fibers, which are superficial association fibers linking adjacent gyri to support fine-grained cortico-cortical networks.[46] Inter-gyral long-range connections, in contrast, rely on major white matter tracts such as the arcuate fasciculus, which links regions across gyri, including the superior and middle temporal gyri to perisylvian frontal areas, enabling broader integration of neural signals.[47] A key principle in gyral contributions to neural processing is the localization of functional areas onto specific gyral structures, as delineated by Brodmann's cytoarchitectonic mapping. For instance, Brodmann area 4, corresponding to the primary motor cortex, occupies the precentral gyrus and is dedicated to motor execution through its projection to spinal motor neurons.[48] This mapping ensures that gyri serve as modular platforms for specialized neural operations, aligning cytoarchitecture with anatomical folds. Signal propagation within gyri is optimized by their structural features, particularly the crowns, which receive thalamocortical connections that span sensorimotor to association regions and mature hierarchically during development.[49] Cortical folding into gyri further enhances processing efficiency by minimizing the average path lengths between interconnected sites, thereby reducing signal propagation times compared to unfolded cortices.[50] These attributes collectively support rapid and reliable neural transmission. Gyral circuits undergo refinement through synaptic pruning during childhood, a process that eliminates excess connections to streamline network efficiency and consolidate active pathways.[51] This pruning aligns with gyrification changes, potentially influencing fold maturation by releasing tension in neuronal fibers and optimizing circuit specificity within gyral domains.[52] Overall, gyri expand cortical surface area, thereby increasing the capacity for complex neural computations.Clinical and research aspects
Associated disorders and imaging
Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), characterized by abnormal gyral formation and scarring, represents the most common cause of drug-resistant focal epilepsy in children and young adults.[53] This malformation often manifests as localized disruptions in cortical layering and neuronal migration within affected gyri, leading to epileptogenic foci that require precise identification for management.[54] In Alzheimer's disease (AD), gyral atrophy begins prominently in the temporal regions, including the medial occipitotemporal, inferior, and middle temporal gyri, serving as an early predictor of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.[55] These volumetric reductions correlate with cognitive decline and are among the initial pathological changes observed in the disease course.[56] Schizophrenia is associated with gyral simplification, evidenced by reduced cortical gyrification, particularly in the left medial superior frontal gyrus, reflecting underlying neurodevelopmental alterations.[57] Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in these patients reveals reduced fractional anisotropy in gray and white matter microstructures, indicating disrupted fiber integrity and connectivity that may contribute to symptom severity.[58] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as voxel-based morphometry (VBM), enable quantitative measurement of gyral volumes by analyzing gray matter density across the cortex, aiding in the detection of atrophy patterns in disorders like epilepsy and AD.[59] Functional MRI (fMRI) further assesses activation patterns within specific gyri during cognitive tasks, revealing altered hemodynamic responses in regions like the prefrontal and temporal gyri that correlate with impaired executive function and memory.[60] DTI complements these by quantifying fractional anisotropy to highlight microstructural changes beneath simplified gyri in schizophrenia.[61] Recent advances in 7T MRI have improved resolution of sub-gyral layers, allowing visualization of early biomarkers such as tau accumulation in the entorhinal and temporal cortices of AD patients.[62] These high-field scans detect disturbed cortical lamination and correlate iron deposition with tau pathology, facilitating earlier diagnostic interventions.[63] Such imaging supports targeted surgical planning by delineating pathological gyral boundaries.[64]Surgical and evolutionary considerations
In epilepsy surgery, intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) is employed to map epileptogenic zones across gyral surfaces, guiding precise resection while minimizing disruption to surrounding cortical tissue.[65] This technique involves placing electrode grids directly on the exposed cortex to record electrical activity, thereby delineating functional boundaries within gyri to optimize seizure control outcomes.[66] Stereotactic navigation systems further enhance this process by integrating preoperative imaging with real-time intraoperative guidance, allowing surgeons to preserve critical gyral regions associated with motor, sensory, or language functions during resections.[67] Awake craniotomy represents a key technique for identifying gyral boundaries in eloquent brain areas, where patients perform cognitive or motor tasks under local anesthesia to enable direct electrical stimulation mapping.[68] This approach helps delineate the limits of functional cortex on gyral crests and margins, reducing postoperative deficits by confirming safe resection margins.[69] Since 2015, advancements in neuronavigation, including integration with intraoperative MRI, have improved surgical precision in epilepsy procedures, leading to enhanced seizure freedom rates and fewer neurological complications compared to earlier methods.[70][71] Cortical gyrification first emerged in early mammals around 200 million years ago, with ancestral species exhibiting relatively simple folding patterns to accommodate expanding neural tissue within a confined skull.[72] This foundational complexity increased over evolutionary time, reaching human-like intricacy by the appearance of Homo erectus approximately 1.8 million years ago, coinciding with advanced cognitive demands such as sophisticated tool use and social behaviors.[73][74] Endocasts from H. erectus fossils reveal prominent gyri and sulci, indicating a brain reorganization that supported enhanced manual dexterity and planning capabilities.[73] Comparative anatomy highlights gyrification's variability across mammals, correlating with the encephalization quotient (EQ), a measure of relative brain size. Monotremes such as the platypus display lissencephalic (smooth) brains with minimal folding and low EQ values, reflecting simpler neural architectures suited to their ecological niches.[75] In contrast, cetaceans like dolphins exhibit highly gyrified cortices with EQs approaching those of humans (often exceeding 4), enabling complex echolocation, social structures, and problem-solving through expanded cortical surface area.[76][77] This gyrification-EQ link underscores how folding facilitates cognitive expansion in large-brained species.[78]References
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gyrus