Anatomy and Physiology of Children and Adolescents - M. R. Sapin 2007

The Nervous System (general structural and developmental plan of the nervous system)
Central Nervous System
Meninges of the spinal cord and brain - Age-related features of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord

The dura mater in newborns is thin and fused with the cranial bones. Its dural folds are poorly developed. The Dural Venous Sinuses are thin-walled and relatively wide. After 10 years of age, the Structure and Topography of the sinuses are identical to those of an adult. The arachnoid and pia mater of the Brain AND SPINAL cord in newborns are thin and delicate. The subarachnoid space is relatively large, with a capacity in newborns of about 20 cm3, which then increases quite rapidly: reaching up to 30 cm3 by the end of the first year of life, and 40–60 cm3 by 5 years of age. In 8-year-old children, the volume of the subarachnoid space reaches 100–140 cm3, matching the adult volume of 120–140 cm3. The cerebellomedullary cistern and other basal cisterns are quite large in newborns; for instance, the height of the cerebellomedullary cistern is about 2 cm and its width is 1.8 cm.

Review and Self-Assessment Questions:

1. Discuss what you know about the age-related CHARACTERISTICS OF THE brain and Spinal Cord.

2. Describe the Classification and arrangement of the Meninges within the cranial cavity, as well as THE POSITION OF the spinal cord within the vertebral canal.

3. What dural folds and sinuses are present in the dura mater?



Last update: 10/08/2026

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