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Vandecruys F, Vandermosten M, De Smedt B. The inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus correlates with early precursors of mathematics and reading before the start of formal schooling. Cortex 2024; 174:149-163. [PMID: 38547813 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted imaging studies in preschoolers have almost exclusively been done in the field of reading. As a result, virtually nothing is known about white matter tracts associated with individual differences in mathematics at this age. Studying the preschoolers' brain is crucial because it allows us to identify individual differences in brain anatomy without influences of formal mathematics and reading instruction. To fill this gap, we investigated for the first time before the start of formal school entry the associations between white matter tracts and precursors of mathematics and reading simultaneously. We also investigated whether these associations were specific to mathematics and to reading, or not. We focused on four bilateral white matter tracts (arcuate fasciculus (direct, anterior), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus), which have been previously correlated with mathematical performance in older children and with reading performance in children of a similar age as the current study. Participants were 56 5-year-old children (Mage = 67 months; SD = 1.8), none of which received formal instruction. Our results showed an association between the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and precursors of mathematics (numerical ordering, numeral knowledge) and reading (phonological awareness, letter knowledge). Follow-up regression analyses revealed that the associations found with the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus were neither specific to mathematics nor specific to reading. These findings suggest that, already before the start of formal schooling, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus might be related to the neural overlap between mathematics and reading. This overlap potentially reflects one of their many shared mechanisms, such as the reliance on phonological codes or the processing of visual symbols, and these mechanisms should be exploited in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor Vandecruys
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Experimental ORL, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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Colás-Blanco I, Chica AB, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Busquier H, Olivares G, Triviño M. Impaired attention mechanisms in confabulating patients: A VLSM and DWI study. Cortex 2023; 159:175-192. [PMID: 36634529 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Attention is one of the most studied cognitive functions in brain-damaged populations or neurological syndromes, as its malfunction can be related to deficits in other higher cognitive functions. In the present study, we aimed at delimiting the attention deficits of a sample of brain-injured patients presenting confabulations by assessing their performance on alertness, spatial orienting, and executive control tasks. Confabulating patients, who present false memories or beliefs without intention to deceive, usually show memory deficits and/or executive dysfunction. However, it is also likely that attention processes may be impaired in patients showing confabulations. Here, we compared confabulating patients' attention performance to a lesion control group and a healthy control group. Confabulating patients' mean overall accuracy was lower than the one of healthy and lesion controls along the three experimental tasks. Importantly, confabulators presented a greater Simon congruency effect than both lesion controls and healthy controls in the presence of predictive spatial cues, besides a lower percentage of hits and longer RTs in the Go-NoGo task, demonstrating deficits in executive control. They also showed a higher reliance on alerting and spatially predictive orienting cues in the context of a deficient performance. Grey and white matter analyses showed that patients' percentage of hits in the Go-NoGo task was related to damage to the right inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis and pars opercularis), whereas the integrity of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus was negatively correlated with their alertness effect. These results are consistent with previous literature highlighting an executive dysfunction in confabulating patients, and suggest that some additional forms of attention, such as alertness and spatial orienting, could be selectively impaired in this clinical syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itsaso Colás-Blanco
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, Île de France, France; Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Spain; Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Spain.
| | - Ana B Chica
- Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Spain; Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Spain.
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Group, Sorbonne Universities, Paris France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Heriberto Busquier
- Grupo CSUR de epilepsia Refractaria, Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Virgen de Las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Olivares
- Grupo CSUR de epilepsia Refractaria, Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Virgen de Las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Mónica Triviño
- Servicio de Neuropsicología. Hospital Universitario San Rafael, Granada, Spain
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Schevenels K, Gerrits R, Lemmens R, De Smedt B, Zink I, Vandermosten M. Early white matter connectivity and plasticity in post stroke aphasia recovery. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103271. [PMID: 36510409 PMCID: PMC9723316 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A disruption of white matter connectivity is negatively associated with language (recovery) in patients with aphasia after stroke, and behavioral gains have been shown to coincide with white matter neuroplasticity. However, most brain-behavior studies have been carried out in the chronic phase after stroke, with limited generalizability to earlier phases. Furthermore, few studies have investigated neuroplasticity patterns during spontaneous recovery (i.e., not related to a specific treatment) in the first months after stroke, hindering the investigation of potential early compensatory mechanisms. Finally, the majority of previous research has focused on damaged left hemisphere pathways, while neglecting the potential protective value of their right hemisphere counterparts for language recovery. To address these outstanding issues, we present a longitudinal study of thirty-two patients with aphasia (21 males and 11 females, M = 69.47 years, SD = 10.60 years) who were followed up for a period of 1 year with test moments in the acute (1-2 weeks), subacute (3-6 months) and chronic phase (9-12 months) after stroke. Constrained Spherical Deconvolution-based tractography was performed in the acute and subacute phase to measure Fiber Bundle Capacity (FBC), a quantitative connectivity measure that is valid in crossing fiber regions, in the bilateral dorsal arcuate fasciculus (AF) and the bilateral ventral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). First, concurrent analyses revealed positive associations between the left AF and phonology, and between the bilateral IFOF and semantics in the acute - but not subacute - phase, supporting the dual-stream language model. Second, neuroplasticity analyses revealed a decrease in connection density of the bilateral AF - but not the IFOF - from the acute to the subacute phase, possibly reflecting post stroke white matter degeneration in areas adjacent to the lesion. Third, predictive analyses revealed no contribution of acute FBC measures to the prediction of later language outcomes over and above the initial language scores, suggesting no added value ofthe diffusion measures for languageprediction. Our study provides new insights on (changes in) connectivity of damaged and undamaged language pathways in patients with aphasia in the first months after stroke, as well as if/how such measures are related to language outcomes at different stages of recovery. Individual results are discussed in the light of current frameworks of language processing and aphasia recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Schevenels
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robin Gerrits
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robin Lemmens
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Research Group Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 602, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32 box 3765, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Zink
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Corresponding author at: Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Sheelakumari R, Bineesh C, Varghese T, Kesavadas C, Verghese J, Mathuranath PS. Neuroanatomical correlates of apathy and disinhibition in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2004-2011. [PMID: 31273672 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00150-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuroanatomical correlates of apathy and disinhibition, behavioral abnormalities in behavioral variant Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) remain unclear. In this study 45 participants (25 bvFTD patients and 20 controls) provided data on clinical, neuropsychological, behavioral (on Frontal Systems Behavior (FrSBe) Scale), cortical volume (on voxel-based morphometry (VBM)) and tract based spatial fractional anisotropy ((FA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allowing examination of the neural correlates of apathy and disinhibition. The patients with bvFTD had predominant grey matter loss and corresponding white matter fractional anisotropy reduction in the frontal and temporal lobe compared to the controls. Grey matter loss in frontal, temporal and limbic structures correlated with apathy and degeneration in temporal limbic brain areas correlated with disinhibition. FA changes in inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and forceps minor correlated with apathy and fibre integrity changes in the superior longitudinal fasciculus correlated with disinhibition. The current study suggests that apathy and disinhibition arises due to changes in the frontal, temporal and limbic brain areas in bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghavan Sheelakumari
- Cognition and Behavioural Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, India
| | | | - Tinu Varghese
- Department of Electronics and Instrumentation, Noorul Islam University, Kumaracoil, Thuckalay, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Chandrasekharan Kesavadas
- Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, India
| | - Joe Verghese
- Integrated Divisions of Cognitive and Motor Aging (Neurology) and Geriatrics (Medicine), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Pavagada S Mathuranath
- Cognition and Behavioural Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, India.
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Banglore, Karnataka, 560029, India.
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Ries SK, Schendel KL, Herron TJ, Dronkers NF, Baldo JV, Turken AU. Neural Underpinnings of Proactive Interference in Working Memory: Evidence From Patients With Unilateral Lesions. Front Neurol 2021; 12:607273. [PMID: 33643192 PMCID: PMC7902939 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.607273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proactive interference in working memory refers to the fact that memory of past experiences can interfere with the ability to hold new information in working memory. The left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) has been proposed to play an important role in resolving proactive interference in working memory. However, the role of white matter pathways and other cortical regions has been less investigated. Here we investigated proactive interference in working memory using the Recent Probes Test (RPT) in 15 stroke patients with unilateral chronic lesions in left (n = 7) or right (n = 2) prefrontal cortex (PFC), or left temporal cortex (n = 6). We examined the impact of lesions in both gray and white matter regions on the size of the proactive interference effect. We found that patients with left PFC lesions performed worse overall, but the proactive interference effect in this patient group was comparable to that of patients with right PFC lesions, temporal lobe lesions, and controls. Interestingly, the size of the interference effect was significantly correlated with the degree of damage in the extreme/external capsule and marginally correlated with the degree of damage in the inferior frontal occipital fasciculus (IFOF). These findings suggests that ventral white matter pathways connecting the LIFG to left posterior regions play a role in resolving proactive interference in working memory. This effect was particularly evident in one patient with a very large interference effect (>3 SDs above controls) who had mostly spared LIFG, but virtually absent ventral white matter pathways (i.e., passing through the extreme/external capsules and IFOF). This case study further supports the idea that the role of the LIFG in resolving interference in working memory is dependent on connectivity with posterior regions via ventral white matter pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie K Ries
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Center for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Krista L Schendel
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA, United States
| | - Timothy J Herron
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA, United States
| | - Nina F Dronkers
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA, United States.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.,National Research University Higher School of Economics, Neurolinguistics Laboratory, Moscow, Russia
| | - Juliana V Baldo
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA, United States
| | - And U Turken
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, CA, United States
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Andelman-Gur MM, Gazit T, Strauss I, Fried I, Fahoum F. Stimulating the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus elicits complex visual hallucinations. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:1577-1579. [PMID: 32927093 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomer Gazit
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ido Strauss
- Functional Neurosurgery Unit, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itzhak Fried
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Firas Fahoum
- Epilepsy and EEG Unit, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Broce IJ, Bernal B, Altman N, Bradley C, Baez N, Cabrera L, Hernandez G, De Feria A, Dick AS. Fiber pathways supporting early literacy development in 5-8-year-old children. Brain Cogn 2019; 134:80-9. [PMID: 30580899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The development of fluent reading is an extended process that requires the recruitment of a comprehensive system of perisylvian brain regions connected by an extensive network of fiber pathways. In the present cross-sectional study, we focused on fiber pathways-the arcuate fasciculus (AF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF)-proposed to support early literacy in typical 5-8-year-old children. We related quantitative metrics of fiber pathway microstructure in these pathways to early literacy measures of phonological awareness and decoding. We found that diffusion properties of the AF, ILF, and VOF not only show age-related differences, but also are predictive of early literacy skills after controlling for the effects of age, general white matter development, sex, IQ, and phonological skill. Perhaps most novel, we provide evidence supporting the involvement of the recently re-identified VOF in early literacy, and further, we provide evidence that a bilateral network of fiber pathways supports early literacy development.
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Panesar SS, Yeh FC, Deibert CP, Fernandes-Cabral D, Rowthu V, Celtikci P, Celtikci E, Hula WD, Pathak S, Fernández-Miranda JC. A diffusion spectrum imaging-based tractographic study into the anatomical subdivision and cortical connectivity of the ventral external capsule: uncinate and inferior fronto-occipital fascicles. Neuroradiology 2017; 59:971-987. [PMID: 28721443 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-017-1874-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF) are major fronto-capsular white matter pathways. IFOF connects frontal areas of the brain to parieto-occipital areas. UF connects ventral frontal areas to anterior temporal areas. Both fascicles are thought to subserve higher language and emotion roles. Controversy pertaining to their connectivity and subdivision persists in the literature, however. METHODS High-definition fiber tractography (HDFT) is a non-tensor tractographic method using diffusion spectrum imaging data. Its major advantage over tensor-based tractography is its ability to trace crossing fiber pathways. We used HDFT to investigate subdivisions and cortical connectivity of IFOF and UF in 30 single subjects and in an atlas comprising averaged data from 842 individuals. A per-subject aligned, atlas-based approach was employed to seed fiber tracts and to study cortical terminations. RESULTS For IFOF, we observed a tripartite arrangement corresponding to ventrolateral, ventromedial, and dorsomedial frontal origins. IFOF volume was not significantly lateralized to either hemisphere. UF fibers arose from ventromedial and ventrolateral frontal areas on the left and from ventromedial frontal areas on the right. UF volume was significantly lateralized to the left hemisphere. The data from the averaged atlas was largely in concordance with subject-specific findings. IFOF connected to parietal, occipital, but not temporal, areas. UF connected predominantly to temporal poles. CONCLUSION Both IFOF and UF possess subdivided arrangements according to their frontal origin. Our connectivity results indicate the multifunctional involvement of IFOF and UF in language tasks. We discuss our findings in context of the tractographic literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip S Panesar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fang-Cheng Yeh
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christopher P Deibert
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David Fernandes-Cabral
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vijayakrishna Rowthu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Pinar Celtikci
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Emrah Celtikci
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William D Hula
- Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sudhir Pathak
- Learning Research and Development Center, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan C Fernández-Miranda
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Herbet G, Moritz-Gasser S, Duffau H. Direct evidence for the contributive role of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in non-verbal semantic cognition. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:1597-1610. [PMID: 27568379 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1294-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neural foundations underlying semantic processing have been extensively investigated, highlighting a pivotal role of the ventral stream. However, although studies concerning the involvement of the left ventral route in verbal semantics are proficient, the potential implication of the right ventral pathway in non-verbal semantics has been to date unexplored. To gain insights on this matter, we used an intraoperative direct electrostimulation to map the structures mediating the non-verbal semantic system in the right hemisphere. Thirteen patients presenting with a right low-grade glioma located within or close to the ventral stream were included. During the 'awake' procedure, patients performed both a visual non-verbal semantic task and a verbal (control) task. At the cortical level, in the right hemisphere, we found non-verbal semantic-related sites (n = 7 in 6 patients) in structures commonly associated with verbal semantic processes in the left hemisphere, including the superior temporal gyrus, the pars triangularis, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. At the subcortical level, we found non-verbal semantic-related sites in all but one patient (n = 15 sites in 12 patients). Importantly, all these responsive stimulation points were located on the spatial course of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). These findings provide direct support for a critical role of the right IFOF in non-verbal semantic processing. Based upon these original data, and in connection with previous findings showing the involvement of the left IFOF in non-verbal semantic processing, we hypothesize the existence of a bilateral network underpinning the non-verbal semantic system, with a homotopic connectional architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Herbet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Avenue Augustin Fliche, 34295, Montpellier, France. .,National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), U1051, Team "Plasticity of the Central Nervous System, Human Stem Cells and Glial Tumors", Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Av Augustin Fliche, 34091, Montpellier, France. .,University of Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
| | - Sylvie Moritz-Gasser
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Avenue Augustin Fliche, 34295, Montpellier, France.,National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), U1051, Team "Plasticity of the Central Nervous System, Human Stem Cells and Glial Tumors", Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Av Augustin Fliche, 34091, Montpellier, France.,University of Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Hugues Duffau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Avenue Augustin Fliche, 34295, Montpellier, France.,National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), U1051, Team "Plasticity of the Central Nervous System, Human Stem Cells and Glial Tumors", Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Montpellier University Medical Center, 80 Av Augustin Fliche, 34091, Montpellier, France.,University of Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
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Song S, Garrido L, Nagy Z, Mohammadi S, Steel A, Driver J, Dolan RJ, Duchaine B, Furl N. Local but not long-range microstructural differences of the ventral temporal cortex in developmental prosopagnosia. Neuropsychologia 2015; 78:195-206. [PMID: 26456436 PMCID: PMC4640146 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia (DP) experience face recognition impairments despite normal intellect and low-level vision and no history of brain damage. Prior studies using diffusion tensor imaging in small samples of subjects with DP (n=6 or n=8) offer conflicting views on the neurobiological bases for DP, with one suggesting white matter differences in two major long-range tracts running through the temporal cortex, and another suggesting white matter differences confined to fibers local to ventral temporal face-specific functional regions of interest (fROIs) in the fusiform gyrus. Here, we address these inconsistent findings using a comprehensive set of analyzes in a sample of DP subjects larger than both prior studies combined (n=16). While we found no microstructural differences in long-range tracts between DP and age-matched control participants, we found differences local to face-specific fROIs, and relationships between these microstructural measures with face recognition ability. We conclude that subtle differences in local rather than long-range tracts in the ventral temporal lobe are more likely associated with developmental prosopagnosia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunbin Song
- Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Lúcia Garrido
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Zoltan Nagy
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS Lab), University of Zurich, Rämistr. 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Siawoosh Mohammadi
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom; Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adam Steel
- Human Cortical Physiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jon Driver
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Ray J Dolan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Bradley Duchaine
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Nicholas Furl
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
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Herbet G, Lafargue G, Moritz-Gasser S, Menjot de Champfleur N, Costi E, Bonnetblanc F, Duffau H. A disconnection account of subjective empathy impairments in diffuse low-grade glioma patients. Neuropsychologia 2015; 70:165-76. [PMID: 25687031 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Human empathic experience is a multifaceted psychological construct which arises from functional integration of multiple neural networks. Despite accumulating knowledge about the cortical circuitry of empathy, almost nothing is known about the connectivity that may be concerned in conveying empathy-related neural information. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we studied dispositional empathy in a large-sized cohort of 107 patients who had undergone surgery for a diffuse low-grade glioma. The self-report questionnaire used enabled us to obtain a global measure of subjective empathy but also, importantly, to assess the two main components of empathy (cognitive and emotional). Data were processed by combining voxelwise and tractwise lesion-symptom analyses. Several major findings emerged from our analyses. First of all, topological voxelwise analyses were inconclusive. Conversely, tractwise multiple regression analyses, including all major associative white matter pathways as potential predictors, yielded to significant models explaining substantial part of the behavioural variance. Among the main results, we found that disconnection of the left cingulum bundle was a strong predictor of a low cognitive empathy (p<0.0005 Bonferroni-corrected). Similarly, we found that disconnection of the right uncinate fasciculus and the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus predicted, respectively, a low (p<0.05 Bonferroni-corrected) and a high (p<0.05 Bonferroni-corrected) subjective empathy. Finally, although we failed to relate emotional empathy to disruption of a specific tract, correlation analyses indicated a positive association between this component of empathy and the volumes of residual lesion infiltration in the right hemisphere (p<0.01). Taken as a whole, these findings provide key fundamental insights into the anatomical connectivity of empathy. They may help to better understand the pathophysiology of empathy impairments in pathological conditions characterized by abnormalities of long-range anatomical connectivity, such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and fronto-temporal dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Herbet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France; Institute for Neuroscience of Montpellier, INSERM U-1051, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Gilles Lafargue
- Functional Neuroscience and Pathologies Lab., EA-4559, Lille Nord de France University, F-59120 Loos, France
| | - Sylvie Moritz-Gasser
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France; Institute for Neuroscience of Montpellier, INSERM U-1051, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Menjot de Champfleur
- Institute for Neuroscience of Montpellier, INSERM U-1051, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France; Department of Neuroradiology, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Emanuele Costi
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - François Bonnetblanc
- INRIA, University of Montpellier 2, LIRMM, équipe DEMAR, F-34095 Montpellier, France; Cognition, Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice, INSERM U-1093, Université de Bourgogne, UFR STAPS, F-27877 Dijon, France; Institut Universitaire de France, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Hugues Duffau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France; Institute for Neuroscience of Montpellier, INSERM U-1051, Montpellier University Medical Center, F-34295 Montpellier, France.
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12
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Hirose K, Miyata J, Sugihara G, Kubota M, Sasamoto A, Aso T, Fukuyama H, Murai T, Takahashi H. Fiber tract associated with autistic traits in healthy adults. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 59:117-24. [PMID: 25266474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with impairment of social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of white matter integrity, in the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) is related to ASD. However, there are several major fibers in pSTS, and it is unknown which of them is associated with ASD. We investigated FA in correlation with autistic traits assessed by autism spectrum quotient (AQ) in 91 healthy adults using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Then, of the fibers in pSTS, we identified the one in which FA was linked to the AQ score using tractography. TBSS revealed that AQ was correlated with FA of white matter in several regions such as the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe including pSTS. With further analysis using tractography, we confirmed that FA alteration in pSTS was located on the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). IFOF has a critical role in processing socio-emotional information. Our findings suggest that of the fibers in pSTS, IFOF is a key fiber that links to autistic traits in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimito Hirose
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Jun Miyata
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Genichi Sugihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Manabu Kubota
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Akihiko Sasamoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Aso
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hidenao Fukuyama
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54, Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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13
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Paldino MJ, Hedges K, Zhang W. Independent contribution of individual white matter pathways to language function in pediatric epilepsy patients. Neuroimage Clin 2014; 6:327-32. [PMID: 25379446 PMCID: PMC4215459 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Patients with epilepsy and malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are at high risk for language and other cognitive impairment. Specific impairments, however, are not well correlated with the extent and locale of dysplastic cortex; such findings highlight the relevance of aberrant cortico-cortical interactions, or connectivity, to the clinical phenotype. The goal of this study was to determine the independent contribution of well-described white matter pathways to language function in a cohort of pediatric patients with epilepsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients were retrospectively identified from an existing database of pediatric epilepsy patients with the following inclusion criteria: 1. diagnosis of MCDs, 2. DTI performed at 3 T, and 3. language characterized by a pediatric neurologist. Diffusion Toolkit and Trackvis (http://www.trackvis.org) were used for segmentation and analysis of the following tracts: corpus callosum, corticospinal tracts, inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILFs), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi (IFOFs), uncinate fasciculi (UFs), and arcuate fasciculi (AFs). Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were calculated for each tract. Wilcoxon rank sum test (corrected for multiple comparisons) was used to assess potential differences in tract parameters between language-impaired and language-intact patients. In a separate analysis, a machine learning algorithm (random forest approach) was applied to measure the independent contribution of the measured diffusion parameters for each tract to the clinical phenotype (language impairment). In other words, the importance of each tract parameter was measured after adjusting for the contribution of all other tracts. RESULTS Thirty-three MCD patients were included (age range: 3-18 years). Twenty-one patients had intact language, twelve had language impairment. All tracts were identified bilaterally in all patients except for the AF, which was not identified on the right in 10 subjects and not identified on the left in 11 subjects. MD and/or FA within the left AF, UF, ILF, and IFOF differed between language-intact and language-impaired groups. However, only parameters related to the left uncinate, inferior fronto-occipital, and arcuate fasciculi were independently associated with the clinical phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Scalar metrics derived from the left uncinate, inferior fronto-occipital, and arcuate fasciculi were independently associated with language function. These results support the importance of these pathways in human language function in patients with MCDs.
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Key Words
- AF, arcuate fasciculus
- Arcuate fasciculus
- BA, Broca's area
- Connectivity
- DTI, diffusion tensor imaging
- DWI, diffusion-weighted imaging
- Epilepsy
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- IFOF, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus
- ILF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus
- Inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus
- Language
- MCDs, malformations of cortical development
- MD, mean diffusivity
- Malformations of cortical development
- Tractography
- UF, uncinate fasciculus
- Uncinate fasciculus
- WA, Wernicke's area
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Paldino
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kara Hedges
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Outcomes and Impact Service, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Welcome SE, Joanisse MF. Individual differences in white matter anatomy predict dissociable components of reading skill in adults. Neuroimage 2014; 96:261-75. [PMID: 24704456 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate relationships between white matter anatomy and different reading subskills in typical-reading adults. A series of analytic approaches revealed that phonological decoding ability is associated with anatomical markers that do not relate to other reading-related cognitive abilities. Thus, individual differences in phonological decoding might relate to connectivity between a network of cortical regions, while skills like sight word reading might rely less strongly on integration across regions. Specifically, manually-drawn ROIs and probabilistic tractography revealed an association between the volume and integrity of white matter underlying primary auditory cortex and nonword reading ability. In a related finding, more extensive cross-hemispheric connections through the isthmus of the corpus callosum predicted better phonological decoding. Atlas-based white matter ROIs demonstrated that relationships with nonword reading were strongest in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus that connect occipital and anterior temporal cortex with inferior frontal cortex. In contrast, tract volume underlying the left angular gyrus was related to nonverbal IQ. Finally, connectivity underlying functional ROIs that are differentially active during phonological and semantic processing predicted nonword reading and reading comprehension, respectively. Together, these results provide important insights into how white matter anatomy may relate to both typical reading subskills, and perhaps a roadmap for understanding neural connectivity in individuals with reading impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E Welcome
- Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Marc F Joanisse
- Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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15
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Fujino J, Takahashi H, Miyata J, Sugihara G, Kubota M, Sasamoto A, Fujiwara H, Aso T, Fukuyama H, Murai T. Impaired empathic abilities and reduced white matter integrity in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 48:117-23. [PMID: 24099786 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Empathic abilities are impaired in schizophrenia. Although the pathology of schizophrenia is thought to involve disrupted white matter integrity, the relationship between empathic disabilities and altered white matter in the disorder remains unclear. The present study tested associations between empathic disabilities and white matter integrity in order to investigate the neural basis of impaired empathy in schizophrenia. Sixty-nine patients with schizophrenia and 69 age-, gender-, handedness-, education- and IQ level-matched healthy controls underwent diffusion-weighted imaging. Empathic abilities were assessed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), the associations between empathic abilities and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of white matter integrity, were examined in the patient group within brain areas that showed a significant FA reduction compared with the controls. The patients with schizophrenia reported lower perspective taking and higher personal distress according to the IRI. The patients showed a significant FA reduction in bilateral deep white matter in the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, a large portion of the corpus callosum, and the corona radiata. In schizophrenia patients, fantasy subscales positively correlated with FA in the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi and anterior thalamic radiation, and personal distress subscales negatively correlated with FA in the splenium of the corpus callosum. These results suggest that disrupted white matter integrity in these regions constitutes a pathology underpinning specific components of empathic disabilities in schizophrenia, highlighting that different aspects of empathic impairments in the disorder would have, at least partially, distinct neuropathological bases.
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Brauer J, Anwander A, Perani D, Friederici AD. Dorsal and ventral pathways in language development. Brain Lang 2013; 127:289-295. [PMID: 23643035 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The dorsal and ventral information streams between inferior frontal and temporal language regions in the human brain are implemented by two fiber connections that consist of separable tracts. We compared the maturation of the two connections including their subcomponents in three different age groups: newborn infants, 7-year-old children, and adults. Our results reveal a maturational primacy of the ventral connection in the language network associating the temporal areas to the inferior frontal gyrus during early development, which is already in place at birth. Likewise, a dorsal pathway from the temporal cortex to the premotor cortex is observable at this early age. This is in contrast to the dorsal pathway to the inferior frontal gyrus which matures at later stages in development and might play a role in more complex language functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Brauer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology, Leipzig, Germany.
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17
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Axer H, Klingner CM, Prescher A. Fiber anatomy of dorsal and ventral language streams. Brain Lang 2013; 127:192-204. [PMID: 22632814 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Revised: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in neuroimaging have led to new insights into the organization of language related networks. Increasing evidence supports the model of dorsal and ventral streams of information flow between language-related areas. Therefore, a review of the descriptions of language-related fiber anatomy in the human and monkey brain was performed. In addition, case studies of macroscopical fiber dissection and polarized light imaging (PLI) with special focus on the ventral stream were done. Several fiber structures can be identified to play a role in language, i.e. the arcuate fasciculus as a part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, the middle longitudinal fasciculus, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and extreme and external capsules. Substantial differences between human and monkey fiber architecture have been identified. Despite inconsistencies based on different terminologies used, there can be no doubt that dorsal and ventral language streams have a clear correlation in the structure of white matter tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubertus Axer
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
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18
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Grossi D, Soricelli A, Ponari M, Salvatore E, Quarantelli M, Prinster A, Trojano L. Structural connectivity in a single case of progressive prosopagnosia: the role of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Cortex 2012; 56:111-20. [PMID: 23099263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Revised: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Progressive prosopagnosia (PP) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a progressive and selective inability to recognize and identify faces of familiar people. Here we report a patient (G.S.) with PP, mainly related to a prominent deficit in recognition of familiar faces, without a semantic (cross-modal) impairment. An in-depth evaluation showed that his deficit extended to other classes of objects, both living and non-living. A follow-up neuropsychological assessment did not reveal substantial changes after about 1 year. Structural MRI showed predominant right temporal lobe atrophy. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed to elucidate structural connectivity of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), the two major tracts that project through the core fusiform region to the anterior temporal and frontal cortices, respectively. Right ILF was markedly reduced in G.S., while left ILF and IFOFs were apparently preserved. These data are in favour of a crucial role of the neural circuit subserved by right ILF in the pathogenesis of PP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Grossi
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy
| | - Andrea Soricelli
- IRCCS Fondazione SDN, Istituto di Ricerca Diagnostica e Nucleare, Naples, Italy
| | - Marta Ponari
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy
| | - Elena Salvatore
- Department of Neurological Sciences, School of Biotechnology, Federico II University of Naples, Italy
| | | | - Anna Prinster
- IRCCS Fondazione SDN, Istituto di Ricerca Diagnostica e Nucleare, Naples, Italy; Biostructure and Bioimaging Institute, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy.
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