White matter loss in healthy ageing: a postmortem analysis.

Age-related brain changes are widely documented. Because of differences in measurement methods and case selection, the reported effects of age on regional grey and white matter brain volumes, however, are much more pronounced and widespread in neuroimaging than in postmortem studies. Consequently, the magnitude of the effect that is specific to chronological age remains unresolved.

Volumetric analysis of a specific language region - the planum temporale.

Planum temporale volumes were determined for 42 control children (ages 4.2-15.7 years) using magnetic resonance imaging.

The left human speech-processing cortex is thinner but longer than the right.

We present histological data from 21 post-mortem, adult human cases that indicate the neocortex on the left planum temporale (secondary auditory cortex) is thinner but longer than that on the right side. The volumes of the left and right regions are approximately equal. Thus, the left planum temporale cortex is long and thin and the right short and thick.

Enlarged temporal lobes in Turner syndrome: an X-chromosome effect?

Gender differences in brain morphology have previously been reported in the temporal lobe and an 'X-chromosome dosage effect' has been described in Turner syndrome (45,X). To examine this further, we investigated temporal lobe morphology, metabolism and function in nine children with non-mosaic Turner syndrome using magnetic resonance imaging, (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and neuropsychological testing and compared outcomes with results from nine age-matched control girls (46,XX). Turner subjects were found to have significantly larger superior temporal lobes (P = 0.

Cerebellar morphology in developmental dyslexia.

Recent evidence has suggested cerebellar anomalies in developmental dyslexia. Therefore, we investigated cerebellar morphology in subjects with documented reading disabilities. We obtained T1-weighted magnetic resonance images in the coronal and sagittal planes from 11 males with prior histories of developmental dyslexia, and nine similarly-aged male controls.