We assessed midsagittal corpus callosum size in sickle cell disease
(SCD) and its relationship to lesion volume, lesion location, and
cognitive functioning. Twenty-eight children with SCD and 16 demographic
controls completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological
testing. Corpus callosum (CC) size was smaller for children with silent
infarcts (n = 8) or overt stroke (n = 8) than for those
without visible infarcts (n = 12) or control participants. Lesion
volume was a robust predictor of IQ and other cognitive scores; total CC
size did not typically add explanatory power for these measures. The size
of the rostral body of the CC, however, independently predicted measures
of distractibility, speeded production, and working memory. Posterior CC
size was also decreased among many of the children with SCD, even in the
absence of visible infarcts in this region. Brain morphology appears to
provide additional information about SCD-related effects on the brain
above and beyond visible infarcts. (JINS, 2006, 12,
24–33.)