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6548 Forest Park Pkwy, St. Louis, MO 63112, USA

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Computational biomechanics of cortical folding

Abstract:  The outer layer of the human brain, the cortex, has a highly folded structure that emerges in utero.  The cortex itself has a complex structure, with six discrete layers and a consistent pattern of thick gyri (outer ridges) and thin sulci (inner valleys).  In our research group, we use the tools of computational mechanics to investigate the mechanisms behind these features.  We have shown that the systematic cortical thickness variations seen in the brain are likely a consequence of both heterogeneous growth and the forces generated during the extensive folding of the cortex.  In this talk, I will lay the foundation for the mechanical hypothesis of cortical thickness variations, and explore these consistent patterns during third trimester gestational development, in adult humans, and in non-human primates.  Additionally, I will discuss our recent computational model that captures the contributions of distinct neuronal cohorts to the formation of the cortical layers. 

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