Revisiting almost forgotten two ends of the central sulcus of cerebral hemisphere in brains of cadavers

Abstract

: The central sulcus also known as Rolandic Fissure separates the sensory cortex in front from motor cortex behind. The central sulcus starts in or near the superomedial border of the cerebral hemisphere, and ends usually a little above the posterior ramus of the lateral sulcus. The central sulcus is the only sulcus that divides the brain at its superior surface. The objective of the present study was to analyse the various types of the central sulcus of cerebral hemisphere with respect to its two ends in the cadavers. A total of 44 cadaveric brains (88 cerebral hemispheres) were studied. The variations at upper end of the central sulcus with respect to the superomedial border of the hemisphere and at its lower end with respect to the posterior ramus of the Sylvian fissure were noted. At the upper end, we found three types of central sulcus – type 1= 68% (those cutting the border and extending on the medial surface), type 2= 23% (those just reaching the border but not reaching the medial surface) and type 3 =9% (those falling short of the border). At the lower end of the fissure, we observed two types of the central sulcus – type 2=83% (those falling short of the posterior ramus of the Sylvian fissure) and type 1=17% (those reaching the posterior ramus of the Sylvian fissure). The variability in the morphology of the cortical gyri and sulci including size, shape and spatial pattern has been previously reported. Such variability raises methodological issues for functional brain mapping1 as well as for lesion localization in neurosurgical planning. This finding will be useful to anatomists, neurosurgeons, radiologists etc. Compared to Chinese population, the percentage of type 2 of the upper end was almost half in our study which represents central India population. Further clinical research is required by radiological examination of the two ends of the central sulcus to determine any association with functional anatomy as well as any correlation with various diseases of the brain.