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Correlation between corpus callosum shape and cognitive performance in healthy young adults

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Abstract

Corpus callosum (CC) might be related to cognitive performance because of its role in interhemispheric communication. Previous research has focused mainly on volumetric analyses of the CC, yielding contradictory results to some extent. Shape is an approach that integrates and extends the data obtained with the volumetric methodology. Here, we analyze the relationships between midsagittal CC shape variation and several cognitive measures. 2D coordinates from 102 MRI-scanned young adult human CCs were superimposed through a Procrustes approach. The residual variation was regressed onto 21 cognitive measures completed by the participants. Most of these measures (including general intelligence, working memory, executive functioning, and mental speed) were unrelated to midsagittal CC morphology. However, attentional control did show consistent and significant correlations with CC shape variation. Slower responses in attentional control were systematically associated with more curved and thinner CC, with consequent rotation of the splenium and the genu. Although the magnitude of the correlations suggests a small relationship of midsagittal CC geometry and attention, the results provide interesting clues regarding the links between brain anatomical configuration and human cognitive function.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Miguel Burgaleta for his help in data sampling, and three anonymous referees for their helpful comments. Emiliano Bruner and José Manuel de la Cuétara are funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (CGL2009-12703-C03-01/02/03), by the Junta de Castilla y León (Grupo de Excelencia GR-249), and by the Italian Institute of Anthropology. Roberto Colom is funded by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (PSI2010-20364). Manuel Martin-Loeches is funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (PSI2010-19619).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Human Evolution and Behavior, UCM-ISCIII, Monforte de Lemos, 5, Pabellón 14, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Martín-Loeches

  2. Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain

    Emiliano Bruner & José Manuel de la Cuétara

  3. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid/Fundación CIEN-Fundación Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain

    Roberto Colom

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  1. Manuel Martín-Loeches
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  2. Emiliano Bruner
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  3. José Manuel de la Cuétara
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Correspondence to Manuel Martín-Loeches.

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Martín-Loeches, M., Bruner, E., de la Cuétara, J.M. et al. Correlation between corpus callosum shape and cognitive performance in healthy young adults. Brain Struct Funct 218, 721–731 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-012-0424-3

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