What is heterotopia in the brain?

Heterotopia means “out of place.” In normal brain development, neurons form in the periventricular region, located around fluid-filled cavities (ventricles) near the center of the brain. The neurons then migrate outward to form the exterior of the brain (cerebral cortex ) in six onion-like layers.

What are the types of heterotopia?

Heterotopia is defined as a cluster of normal neurons in abnormal locations, and is divided into three main groups: periventricular nodular heterotopia, subcortical heterotopia, and band or laminar heterotopia. Subependymal or periventricular heterotopia (Fig.

Is GREY matter Heterotopia a disability?

Psychiatric disorders where grey matter heterotopia has been discovered. The most common neuropsychiatric clinical picture is that of intellectual disability, which ranges from mild to severe in nature, even though many patients with GMH present with normal intellectual functioning.

What causes GREY matter Heterotopia?

Grey matter heterotopias are believed to be due interruption of the normal migration of neurons from the periventricular telencephalic germinal matrix to the cortex and may be due to either genetic abnormalities or infection/trauma. Neuroblasts proliferate in the germinal matrix between 7 and 8 weeks of gestation.

Can heterotopia cause headaches?

Epilepsy in periventricular nodular heterotopia is common but headache is rare [3]. Asymmetric ventriculomegaly is a common radiological feature and is thought to be a structural consequence of the presence of heterotopia, rather than a disorder of ependymal compliance or CSF dynamics [4].

How does grey matter affect intelligence?

Intelligence linked to size of key brain regions. Size may matter after all, when it comes to IQ. A brain imaging study suggests that human intellect is based on the volume of grey matter in certain brain regions, challenging alternative views about the basis of intelligence.

What causes subependymal heterotopia?

As with other grey matter heterotopias, subependymal heterotopia is thought to result from interruption of normal neuronal migration.

Is heterotopia a genetic disorder?

X-linked periventricular heterotopia or FLNA-related periventricular nodular heterotopia is a genetic disorder in which nerve cells in the brain do not migrate properly during early fetal development (a neuronal migration disorder). It is characterized by the presence of clumps of neurons near the brain’s ventricles.

What is heterotopic gray matter?

Gray matter heterotopia (GMH) is a group of neurological disorders characterized by the ectopic position of neurons.

Does having more gray matter make one more intelligent?

The scientists went on to show that the twins with a higher density of grey matter, especially in the front part of the brain, were markedly better at doing IQ tests, suggesting that the more grey matter someone had, the more intelligent they should appear to be.

Is gray matter good for brain?

[6] The grey matter throughout the central nervous system allows enables individuals to control movement, memory, and emotions. Different areas of the brain are responsible for various functions, and grey matter plays a significant role in all aspects of human life.

What is heterotopia architecture?

More precisely, heterotopia is defined in the architectural field as a series of formal characteristics that make up a “stable essence”, a profile or a model, present or not in a built object or space. From this stage on, space and spatiality are reconsidered, with a particular focus on the public space.

What does MR imaging of heterotopia tell us?

In one article on MR imaging of heterotopia, a single case was mentioned in which the heterotopic gray matter seemed to represent an infolding of cortical gray matter (5). An initial review of the MR studies of patients with subcortical heterotopia at our institution revealed a number of patients with similar findings.

How are heterotopic nodules associated with brain malformation?

Thus, heterotopic nodules consisting of multiple neuronal cell types are associated with malformation in the overlying cortical plate, and have limited connectivity with other brain regions.

Where are grey matter heterotopias located in the brain?

There are small foci of grey matter heterotopia in the corpus callosum, deep to the dysplastic cortex. Gray matter heterotopias are neurological disorders caused by clumps of gray matter (nodules of neurons) located in the wrong part of the brain. A grey matter heterotopia is characterized as a type of focal cortical dysplasia.

How can you tell if someone has periventricular heterotopia?

Characteristic nodules around the ventricles of the brain are then typically discovered when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are done. Patients usually have normal intelligence, although some have mild intellectual disability. Difficulty with reading and spelling has been reported in some girls with periventricular heterotopia.