On the growth and form of cortical convolutions

International audience; The rapid growth of the human cortex during development is accompanied by the folding of the brain into a highly convoluted structure1-3. Recent studies have focused on the genetic and cellular regulation of cortical growth4-8, but understanding the formation of the gyral and sulcal convolutions also requires consideration of the geometry and physical shaping of the growing brain9-15. To study this, we use magnetic resonance images to build a 3D-printed layered gel mimic of the developing smooth fetal brain; when immersed in a solvent, the outer layer swells relative to the core, mimicking cortical growth. This relative growth puts the outer layer into mechanical com…