Abstract

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), a failure to develop the large bundle of fibres that connect the cerebral hemispheres, occurs in 1:4000 individuals. Genetics, animal models and detailed structural neuroimaging are now providing insights into the developmental and molecular bases of AgCC. Studies using neuropsychological, electroencephalogram and functional MRI approaches are examining the resulting impairments in emotional and social functioning, and have begun to explore the functional neuroanatomy underlying impaired higher-order cognition. The study of AgCC could provide insight into the integrated cerebral functioning of healthy brains, and may offer a model for understanding certain psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and autism.

Author affiliations

1. California Institute of Technology, MC 228-77 Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
2. Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, California 91101, USA.
3. University of Queensland, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Otto Hirschfeld Building #81, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
4. Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, 350 Parnassus Ave, Suite 609, California 94143-0137, USA.

Correspondence to: Lynn K. Paul^1,2 Email: lkpaul@hss.caltech.edu

Correspondence to: Elliott H. Sherr⁴ Email: sherre@neuropeds.ucsf.edu

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