Studies on Comparative Cytoarchitectonics: Effects of Aging on Anterior Transverse Temporal Gyral Cortex and Posterior Transverse Temporal Gyral Cortex in Human Brain

Abstract

The corticies of summit of anterior transverse temporal gyrus (Brodmann's cortical area 41) and of posterior transverse temporal gyrus (Brodrnann's cortical area 42) have been compared in terms of aging effects on the cytoarchitecture of both areas. Samples were taken from 290 hemispheres of 145 normal human brains (85 of male and 60 of female). No statistically significant differences between the cortical thickness and the relative total glial cell density of the two cortical areas were noted. But the relative total neuronal cell density of Brodmann's cortical area 41 was significantly higher than that of area 42. There was no aging effect on the relative total neuronal cell density in both cortical areas. But the relative total glial cell density tended to increase gradually along with the increment of age. The cortical thickness tended to increase gradually until the age 16-20 and thereafter decrease in both cortical areas.