Measurements of the cerebral cortical thickness in healthy Sudanese subjects during third and fourth decades of age

Abstract

Introduction The cortex is the outer covering of cerebrum that contains the functional areas including motor, sensory, visual, auditory, and speech. Measuring the cortical thickness of the cerebral hemisphere has greater importance because it supports the neuroscientists in their investigations of normal and abnormal changes in the cortical thickness. The aim of the present study was to measure cortical thickness of the cerebral hemisphere, frontal lobe, and frontal lobe gyri in young adult Sudanese in the third and fourth decade and to determine the effect of sex and age on the cortical thickness of cerebral hemisphere and its gyri. Material and methods The study included 139 healthy Sudanese subjects (80 males and 59 females) ranging between 20-39 years of age; they were assigned into the third and fourth decades. T1-weighted MR brain images with thickness 1mm were obtained. MR images of the subjects were analysed using the automatic segmentation software (BrainSuite). Cerebral cortical thickness (CCT) of the cerebral hemispheres, frontal lobes, and frontal lobe gyri were estimated using the output data of process of the software. Results The CCT of the cerebral hemispheres (3.810.21±mm) (3.840.16±mm) and frontal lobes (4.26±0.22mm) (4.240.22±mm) during third and fourth decade, respectively was not different between genders (P>0.05). Within third decade, there was no gender difference in CCT of frontal lobe gyri, except for the left precentral gyrus. While within fourth decade, the gender difference was reported in the middle frontal, pars opercularis, pars triangularis, precentral and paracentral, and subcallosal gyri (P<0.05). CCT of the cerebral hemisphere and frontal lobe did not change from third to fourth decade (P>0.05). Changes in CCT from third to fourth decade were noticed in the precentral, paracentral gyri, and pars opercularis. Conclusion Cortical thickness of the cerebral hemisphere and frontal lobe were not different between genders and was not changed by age; so they are independent values from sex and age. However, gender differences and change by age were reported in some frontal lobe gyri. This data can serve as normative database and reference data for both researchers and clinicians.