white matter is located in the corpus callosum in the brain.
white matter is located in the corpus callosum in the brain.
where is white matter located in the brain?
the corpus callosum
similar to grey matter, white matter has been shown to correlate positively with intelligence in humans. white matter consists mainly of myelinated neuronal axons, responsible for delivering signals between neurons. the pinkish-white color of white matter is actually a result of these myelin sheaths that electrically insulate neurons that are transmitting signals to other neurons. white matter connects different regions of grey matter in the cerebrum together. these interconnections make transport more seamless and allow us to perform tasks easier. significant correlations between intelligence and the corpus callosum have been found, as larger callosal areas have been positively correlated with cognitive performance. however, there appear to be differences in importance for white matter between verbal and nonverbal intelligence, as although both verbal and nonverbal measures of intelligence correlate positively with the size of the corpus callosum, the correlation for intelligence and corpus callosum size was larger (.47) for nonverbal measures than that for verbal measures (.18). anatomical mesh-based geometrical modelling has also shown positive correlations between the thickness of the corpus callosum and intelligence in healthy adults.
neuroscience and intelligence
the mri of patients with vwm shows a well defined leukodystrophy. these mris display reversal of signal intensity of the white matter in the brain. recovery sequences and holes in the white matter are also visible. over time, the mri is excellent at showing rarefaction and cystic degeneration of the white matter as it is replaced by fluid. to show this change, displaying white matter as a high signal (t2-weighted), proton density, and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (flair) images are the best approach. t2-weighted images also displaying cerebrospinal fluid and rarefied/cystic white matter. to view the remaining tissue, and get perspective on the damage done (also helpful in determining the rate of deterioration) (t1-weighted), proton density, and flair images are ideal as they show radiating stripe patterns in the degenerating white matter. a failure of mri images is their ineffectiveness and difficulty in interpretation in infants since the brain has not fully developed yet. though some patterns and signs may be visible, it is still difficult to conclusively diagnose. this often leads to misdiagnosis in infants particularly if the mri results in equivocal patterns or because of the high water content in infants' brains. the easiest way to fix this problem is a follow-up mri in the following weeks. a potentially similar appearance of mri with white matter abnormalities and cystic changes may be seen in some patients with hypomelanosis of ito, some forms of lowe's (oculocerebrorenal) disease, or some of the mucopolysaccharidoses.
leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter