Giftedness and cytoarchitecture of the prefrontal cortex of the outstanding scientist and physiologist I.P. Pavlov

The aim of this study was to examine the cytoarchitecture of area 10 in the frontal lobe of I.P. Pavlov, an outstanding scientist, physiologist, and Nobel Prize winner. Materials and methods. We studied the cortical cytoarchitecture of area 10 in the brain's frontal region belonging to the scientist and physiologist I. P. Pavlov (aged 86 years), compared with similar brain cortices of 4 elderly males (7590 years). Modern morphometric methods were used, on the basal surface of each cerebral hemisphere, to study the cortical thickness of area 10, thickness of the associated layer III, area of the specialized neural field in this layer, the number density of contained neurons, total glial cells, satellite glial cells, and the neurons surrounded by them. Results. It was found that area 10 of the cerebral cortex of I.P. Pavlov is characterized by good preservation, pronounced radial striation, and significant asymmetry of the macroscopic and cytoarchitectural structure. Compared with ordinary men, area 10 of I.P. Pavlovs brain has a significantly thicker cortex and associative layer III, as well as a higher proportion of large neurons, number density of neurons, total glial cells, satellite glial cells, and neurons surrounded by them.