Prolonged myelination in human neocortical evolution

Miller, Daniel J.; Duka, Tetyana; Stimpson, Cheryl D.; Schapiro, Steven J.; Baze, Wallace B.; McArthur, Mark J.; Fobbs, Archibald J.; Sousa, André M. M.; Šestan, Nenad; Wildman, Derek E.; Lipovich, Leonard; Kuzawa, Christopher W.; Hof, Patrick R.; Sherwood, Chet C.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1117943109

articleProceedings of the National Academy of SciencesSep 24, 2012BRONZE OA

Prolonged myelination in human neocortical evolution

DJDaniel J. Miller TDTetyana Duka CDCheryl D. Stimpson SJSteven J. Schapiro WBWallace B. Baze

George Washington University · The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · +8 more institutions

PubMed

Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Nerve myelination facilitates saltatory action potential conduction and exhibits spatiotemporal variation during development associated with the acquisition of behavioral and cognitive maturity. Although human cognitive development is unique, it is not known whether the ontogenetic progression of myelination in the human neocortex is evolutionarily exceptional. In this study, we quantified myelinated axon fiber length density and the expression of myelin-related proteins throughout postnatal life in the somatosensory (areas 3b/3a/1/2), motor (area 4), frontopolar (prefrontal area 10), and visual (areas 17/18) neocortex of chimpanzees (N = 20) and humans (N = 33). Our examination revealed that neocortical…

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Topics & keywords

Topics

Keywords

Neuroscience
Neocortex
Myelin
Psychology
Cognition
Human brain
Context (archaeology)
Somatosensory system

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