Diffusion Tensor Tractography of Corpus Callosum Development Across the Lifespan

Saul Caverhill-Godkewitsch¹, Catherine Lebel¹, Christian Beaulieu¹

Throughout life, brain changes occur, including in the corpus callosum (CC). Previous DTI studies used region-of-interest analysis on a mid-sagittal slice to study CC development, but it has not been examined with tractography. We used tractography to segment the CC based on seven distinct target regions, and examined development in 313 healthy subjects aged 5-59 years. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) followed quadratic trajectories, with FA increasing then decreasing and MD following an opposite trend; peaks occurred between 26-44 years. A pattern was observed in which anterior and posterior regions peaked earlier than central areas.