Developmental characteristics of the microstructure of layer v of the frontal cortex in humans

Histological methods and computer morphometric studies of fields 8 and 10 and subfield 32/10 of the frontal area of the left cerebral cortex were performed in 103 humans aged from birth to 20 years to address the developmental characteristics of the microstructure of layer V; pyramidal neuron field profile areas were measured, along with the thicknesses of radial fibers and bundles of radial fibers and the distances between bundles. The following stages were identified in the development of frontal cortex layer V: from birth to one year, from 1-2 years to 5-6 years, from 6-7 years to nine years, and from 9-10 years to 16-18 years. Sets of microstructural changes were identified at each of these stages, associated with increases in the complexity of transthalamic and other interaction systems of the frontal cortex with other cortical and subcortical formations. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.