By: Melissa Bui

What are the Corpus Callosum and Midbrain?
The Corpus Callosum is located in the center of the brain at the base which is in the midline of the brain which connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres, allowing neural messages to pass from one side to another.
Similarly, the Midbrain is located below the cerebral cortex, being the topmost part of the brainstem and connects between brain and spinal cord. The Midbrain is also part of the central nervous system, consisting of three main parts which include the colliculi, the tegmentum and the cerebral peduncles, having 12 cranial nerves where two thread directly from the Midbrain.
What are the functions?
The Corpus Callosum is located close to the Midbrain that plays a crucial role in the transfer and integration of sensory, motor as well as cognitive information. The connections between the hemispheres contain as many as 250 million axons.
Additionally, the small structure, being the Midbrain, plays not only a vital function in processing visual and auditory signals, but controls motor movement, pain, as well as sleep and wake cycle.
Complications that can take place in the area of the brain
If a person’s Corpus Callosum were severed or damaged, the result would lead the two hemispheres of the brain to no longer communicate with one another. This may also result in dyslexia (a disorder with difficulty in reading due to issues in identifying speech sounds and relating letters as well as words), alien hand syndrome (losing control of the hand and acts as if it has a mind of its own), impaired left visual recognition as well as left auditory hearing loss to name a few. Damage to the corpus callosum is a rare condition that can occur within patients with brain injuries while also presenting a variety of cognitive and motor impairments.
Likewise, damage to midbrain results in several complications including difficulty with vision and hearing, movement disorders, as well as trouble with memory. Due to the midbrain having contained the hypothalamus, it plays a critical part in automatic body functions which affects body temperature as well as hunger, mood and blood pressure.
Complications that are epilepsy related
On top of previously stated damage in the brain which result in similar effects, other complications within the corpus callosum that relate to epilepsy include mutism (lack of speech), weakness to extremity as well as lack of controlling bladder. Additionally, some children may obtain a change in behavior. With any surgery involved, there is also risk of side effects that include bleeding, swelling and even infection, during or after the procedure.
With epilepsy involved in the midbrain, the brain may result in seizures where the mesial portion (middle) of both temporal lobes are extremely important in epilepsy as it the one of the main sources of seizures and can be likely to damage or scarring.
Treatment options for epilepsy complications
To treat epilepsy complications within the corpus callosum, a surgical procedure called Corpus callosotomy can be used to treat atonic seizures which are also known as drop attacks. Drop attacks essentially divide all or part of the corpus callosum as the corpus callosum has bundles of nerve fibers that connect to the two brain hemispheres but does not cut through the midbrain. A cut to the corpus callosum to treat epilepsy through the band of fibers of the corpus callosum will disconnect signals between the brain’s two halves to prevent nerves from sending seizure signals. However, seizures will occur in the side where it starts and after surgery. The seizures will likely be less severe due to only affecting half of the brain, but has a small risk of causing weakness in the arm or leg which will eventually improve with time.
Conclusion
With corpus callosum being a vital part of the brain function for coordination along with the midbrain of motor movement, such damage may result in complications such as identifying speech sounds. Despite these complications, it is important to also note how other issues can impact the brain such as epilepsy. This includes similar effects such as lack of speech and seizures involved. With such complications of the corpus callosum and midbrain, it is important to be aware of how the corpus callosum can have a major impact, and especially with epilepsy, altering brain functions. By learning about functions of the corpus callosum and midbrain to the treatments involved to reduce complications related to epilepsy, we can inform or even assist those around us who are struggling to overcome epilepsy.
Resources:
Sandy. “Corpus Callosum.” NeuRA Library, 31 Oct. 2020, library.neura.edu.au/schizophrenia/physical-features/brain-regions/corpus-callosum/index.html.
“The Midbrain.” Queensland Brain Institute – University of Queensland, 16 Mar. 2021, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/midbrain#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20main%20parts,for%20eye%20and%20eyelid%20movement.
Colleen Doherty, MD. “The Anatomy of the Midbrain.” Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 9 May 2023, www.verywellhealth.com/midbrain-anatomy-5093684#:~:text=The%20midbrain%20functions%20as%20a,of%20the%20central%20nervous%20system.
“Dyslexia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 Aug. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyslexia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353552#:~:text=Dyslexia%20is%20a%20learning%20disorder,the%20brain%20that%20process%20language.
Panikkath, Ragesh, et al. “The Alien Hand Syndrome.” Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059570/#:~:text=Alien%20hand%20syndrome%20is%20a,and%20rarely%20stroke%20(1).
Wu, Xiao-Li, et al. “Comprehensive Rehabilitation in a Patient with Corpus Callosum Syndrome after Traumatic Brain Injury: Case Report.” Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 July 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7360258/#:~:text=Injury%20to%20the%20corpus%20callosum,occurs%20in%20patients%20with%20brain.
“Corpus Callosotomy (Epilepsy Surgery): UPMC Children’s.” Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, www.chp.edu/our-services/brain/neurosurgery/epilepsy-surgery/types-of-surgery/corpus-callosotomy#:~:text=Other%20possible%20complications%20of%20corpus,demonstrate%20a%20change%20in%20behavior. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.
“Focal Epilepsy.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 8 Aug. 2021, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/epilepsy/focal-epilepsy#:~:text=The%20temporal%20lobes%20are%20the,prone%20to%20damage%20or%20scarring.
Professional, Cleveland Clinic medical. “Corpus Callosotomy: How It’s Done, Risks & Benefits, Recovery, Outlook.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11546-corpus-callosotomy. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.