Short Description or Definition
The corpus callosum (CC) is the largest white matter fiber tract (also known as commissure) connecting the two hemispheres of the human brain. Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is present at birth and encompasses structural defects of the development of the corpus callosum that range from partial to complete loss of these connective fiber tracts. Primary AgCC is a complete loss of the CC without other accompanying brain changes. A rare individual diagnosed with ASD is found to have AgCC.
Categorization
The CC is generally divided into seven subregions (see “The Definition of the Corpus Callosum”).
AgCC is divided into partial (Fig. 1) and complete (Fig. 2) based on whether one or more subregions are missing (Fig. 1) or whether the entire CC is absent (Fig. 2). In...
References and Reading
Boland, E., Clayton-Smith, J., Woo, V. G., McKee, S., Manson, F. D. C., Medne, L., … & Sherr, E. H. (2007). Mapping of deletion and translocation breakpoints in 1q44 implicates the serine/threonine kinase AKT3 in postnatal microcephaly and agenesis of the corpus callosum. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 81(2), 292–303.
Brown, W. S., & Paul, L. K. (2000). Cognitive and psychosocial deficits in agenesis of the corpus callosum with normal intelligence. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 5, 135–157.
Chiarello, C. (1980). A house divided? Cognitive functioning with callosal agenesis. Brain and Language, 11(1), 128–158.
David, A. S., Wacharasindhu, A., & Lishman, W. A. (1993). Severe psychiatric disturbance and abnormalities of the corpus callosum: Review and case series. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 56(1), 85–93.
Fischer, M., Ryan, S. B., & Dobyns, W. B. (1992). Mechanisms of interhemispheric transfer and patterns of cognitive function in acallosal patients of normal intelligence. Archives of Neurology, 49(3), 271–277.
Friocourt, G., Kanatani, S., Tabata, H., Yozu, M. Takahashi, T., Antypa, M., … & Parnavelas, J. G. (2008). Cell-autonomous roles of ARX in cell proliferation and neuronal migration during corticogensis. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28(22), 5794–5805.
Goodyear, P. W., Bannister, C. M., Russell, S., & Rimmer, S. (2001). Outcome in prenatally diagnosed fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, 16(3), 139–145. https://doi.org/10.1159/000053898 (pii).
Lau, Y. C., Hinkley, L. B. N., Bukshpun, P. Strominger, Z. A., Wakahiro, M. L. J., Baron-Cohen, S., … & Marco, E. J. (2013). Autism traits in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(5), 1106–1118.
O’Driscoll, M. C., Black, G. C. M., Clayton-Smith, J., Sherr, E. H., & Dobyns, W. B. (2010). Identification of genomic loci contributing to agenesis of the corpus callosum. The American Journal of Medical Genetics, 152A(9), 2145–2159.
Paul, L. K., Brown, W. S., Adolphs, R., Tyszka, J. M., Richards, L. J., & Mukherjee, P. (2007). Agenesis of the corpus callosum: Genetic, developmental and functional aspects of connectivity. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8, 287–299.
Roebuck, T. M., Mattson, S. N., & Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neuroanatomical findings in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 22(2), 339–344.
Sauerwein, H. C., Nolin, P., & Lasonde, M. (1994). Callosal agenesis: A natural split brain. New York: Plenum.
Shevell, M. I. (2002). Clinical and diagnostic profile of agenesis of the corpus callosum. Journal of Child Neurology, 17(12), 896–900.
Shoicet, S. A., Kunde, S-A., Viertel, P., Schell-Apacik, C., von Voss, H., Tommerup, N., … & Kalscheuer, V. M. (2005). Haploinsufficiency of novel FOXG1B variants in a patient with severe mental retardation, brain malformations and microcephaly. Human Genetics, 117(6), 536–544.
Solursh, L. P., Margulies, A. I., Ashem, B., & Stasiak, E. A. (1965). The relationships of agenesis of the corpus callosum to perception and learning. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 141(2), 180–189.
Vergani, P., Ghidini, A., Strobelt, N., Locatelli, A., Mariani, S., Bertalero, C., & Cavallone, M. (1994). Prognostic indicators in the prenatal diagnosis of agenesis of corpus callosum. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 170(3), 753–758.
Wang, L. W., Huang, C. C., & Yeh, T. F. (2004). Major brain lesions detected on sonographic screening of apparently normal term neonates. Neuroradiology, 46(5), 368–373. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-003-1160-4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hegarty, J.P., Hardan, A.Y., Frazier, T.W. (2018). Agenesis of Corpus Callosum. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_657-3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_657-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences