Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Cortical folding is an important process during brain development, and aberrant folding is linked to disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Changes in cell numbers, size, and morphology have been proposed to exert forces that control the folding process, but these changes may also influence the mechanical properties of developing brain tissue. Currently, the changes in tissue stiffness during brain folding are unknown. Here, we report stiffness in the developing ferret brain across multiple length scales, emphasizing changes in folding cortical tissue. Using rheometry to measure the bulk properties of brain tissue, we found that overall brain stiffness increases with age over the period of cortical folding. Using atomic force microscopy to target the cortical plate, we found that the occipital cortex increases in stiffness as well as stiffness heterogeneity over the course of development and folding. These findings can help to elucidate the mechanics of the cortical folding process by clarifying the concurrent evolution of tissue properties.
Source: Scientific Reports
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,390
Funders: National Science Foundation, Washington University in St. Louis, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation
OpenAlex ID: W4388941390