The brain is the most relevant set of organs that we possess, since it governs the functioning of the whole organism in such a way that we can stay alive. If we observe it from the outside, the first thing we can see is the cerebral cortex, a compact region full of wrinkles and folds . These folds form convolutions or twists, as well as furrows and indentations. Among the latter, there are two that stand out especially and that allow us to differentiate different lobes: Silvio’s fissure and Rolando’s fissure.

In this article we are going to focus on Rolando’s cleft to analyse what it is and its importance, as well as which regions surround it and some disorders that can be derived from it or that generate relevant effects on it.

Roland’s cleavage: what are we looking at?

Rolando’s fissure is, together with Silvio’s, one of the most relevant and visible fissure, furrow or cleft of the cerebral cortex. Also known as the central groove , this fissure runs vertically, separating the frontal and parietal lobes and thus, on a functional level, the motor cortex (Brodmann area 4) and primary somatosensory cortex (Brodmann areas 1, 2 and 3).

This groove is also surrounded by the pre-central and post-central gyrus and is found bilaterally, i.e. this groove appears in both cerebral hemispheres. It appears in the central part of the brain and practically reaches Silvio’s fissure, being separated from it by one of the opercules

In addition to making this separation, it has been speculated that in the brain matter that makes up Rolando’s fissure there could be a certain association between motor and sensory information, in such a way that it would act as a bridge and contribute to integrating both types of information.

Development

This fissure, similar to Silvio’s, is formed early in fetal development . Specifically, it can be seen through magnetic resonances from the 28th week of gestation (although from the 26th week onwards it can be guessed at in some cases), appearing from the parietal areas and becoming increasingly visible and deeper as the brain develops.

Disorders and problems related to Rolando’s cleft

The Rolando’s or central fissure is one of the most visible of the whole human brain and allows us to make a separation between the frontal and parietal lobes, two of the most relevant brain regions. But Rolando’s cleft sometimes does not appear or can be involved or affected by various problems. Some of them are the following.

1. Lysencephaly

Lysencephaly, which can be complete or incomplete, is a disorder in which no or few folds, convolutions and furrows are formed in the brain during fetal development . This is a problem that can generate different types of repercussions, which can lead to the death of the foetus or the baby in a few years and generate alterations such as cardiorespiratory difficulties or convulsions. Occasionally children with this disorder may not show symptoms, but this is not common.

2. Strokes

Broken blood vessels or ischemia can affect the areas around Rolando’s cleft and even flood it. This would generate various problems that could end up affecting the performance of movements and/or the capture of tactile sensations.

3. Rolandic epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disorder in which one or more groups of neurons become hyperexcited to stimulation and end up generating seizures. Rolling epilepsy is one of the most common types of epilepsy and is typical of childhood.

The crisis does not generate loss of consciousness, and stands out for starting with a tingling that ends up transforming into an inability to control the face and extremities, suffering uncontrollable shaking in these areas and unable to speak. It is a type of epilepsy that is generally benign and appears during sleep or in the morning, and is generated by the hyperexcitability of the neurons located in Rolando’s fissure .

4. Tumors

The existence of different types of brain tumours can cause alterations in the physiognomy of the brain , including the displacement of clefts such as Rolando’s and the destruction of neurons present in its depths or in the surrounding areas.

Bibliographic references:

  • Cohen-Sacher, B.; Lerman-Sagie, T.; Lev, D.; Malinger, G. (2006). Sonographic developmental milestones of the fetal brain cortex: a longitudinal study. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 27: 494-502.
  • Toi, A.; Lister, W.S. & Fong, K.W. (2004), How early are fetal cerebral sulci visible at prenatal ultrasound and what is the normal pattern of early fetal sulcal development? Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 24: 706-715.