The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain?
Fiber tractography (FT) using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is widely used for investigating microstructural properties of white matter (WM) fiber-bundles and for mapping structural connections of the human brain. While studying the architectural configuration of the brain’s circuitry...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnana.2019.00024/full |
| _version_ | 1819315459483238400 |
|---|---|
| author | Szabolcs David Anneriet M. Heemskerk Francesco Corrivetti Michel Thiebaut de Schotten Silvio Sarubbo Francesco Corsini Alessandro De Benedictis Laurent Petit Max A. Viergever Derek K. Jones Emmanuel Mandonnet Hubertus Axer John Evans Tomáš Paus Tomáš Paus Alexander Leemans |
| author_facet | Szabolcs David Anneriet M. Heemskerk Francesco Corrivetti Michel Thiebaut de Schotten Silvio Sarubbo Francesco Corsini Alessandro De Benedictis Laurent Petit Max A. Viergever Derek K. Jones Emmanuel Mandonnet Hubertus Axer John Evans Tomáš Paus Tomáš Paus Alexander Leemans |
| author_sort | Szabolcs David |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fiber tractography (FT) using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is widely used for investigating microstructural properties of white matter (WM) fiber-bundles and for mapping structural connections of the human brain. While studying the architectural configuration of the brain’s circuitry with FT is not without controversy, recent progress in acquisition, processing, modeling, analysis, and visualization of dMRI data pushes forward the reliability in reconstructing WM pathways. Despite being aware of the well-known pitfalls in analyzing dMRI data and several other limitations of FT discussed in recent literature, we present the superoanterior fasciculus (SAF), a novel bilateral fiber tract in the frontal region of the human brain that—to the best of our knowledge—has not been documented. The SAF has a similar shape to the anterior part of the cingulum bundle, but it is located more frontally. To minimize the possibility that these FT findings are based on acquisition or processing artifacts, different dMRI data sets and processing pipelines have been used to describe the SAF. Furthermore, we evaluated the configuration of the SAF with complementary methods, such as polarized light imaging (PLI) and human brain dissections. The FT results of the SAF demonstrate a long pathway, consistent across individuals, while the human dissections indicate fiber pathways connecting the postero-dorsal with the antero-dorsal cortices of the frontal lobe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T10:00:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6aa4fd8c6a84538b21aa117958b94ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5129 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T10:00:27Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6aa4fd8c6a84538b21aa117958b94ee2022-12-21T17:01:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroanatomy1662-51292019-03-011310.3389/fnana.2019.00024438783The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain?Szabolcs David0Anneriet M. Heemskerk1Francesco Corrivetti2Michel Thiebaut de Schotten3Silvio Sarubbo4Francesco Corsini5Alessandro De Benedictis6Laurent Petit7Max A. Viergever8Derek K. Jones9Emmanuel Mandonnet10Hubertus Axer11John Evans12Tomáš Paus13Tomáš Paus14Alexander Leemans15Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsImage Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsDepartment of Neurosurgery, Lariboisière Hospital, APHP, Paris, FranceCentre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, United KingdomStructural and Functional Connectivity Lab Project, Department of Emergency, Division of Neurosurgery, “S. Chiara” Hospital, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, ItalyStructural and Functional Connectivity Lab Project, Department of Emergency, Division of Neurosurgery, “S. Chiara” Hospital, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, ItalyDepartment of Neurosciences, Division of Neurosurgery, “Bambino Gesù” Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyGroupe d’Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle (GIN), Institut des Maladies Neurodégératives (IMN)-UMR5293-CNRS, CEA, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, FranceImage Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff, United KingdomDepartment of Neurosurgery, Lariboisière Hospital, APHP, Paris, FranceHans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, GermanyCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff, United KingdomBloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada0Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaImage Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsFiber tractography (FT) using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is widely used for investigating microstructural properties of white matter (WM) fiber-bundles and for mapping structural connections of the human brain. While studying the architectural configuration of the brain’s circuitry with FT is not without controversy, recent progress in acquisition, processing, modeling, analysis, and visualization of dMRI data pushes forward the reliability in reconstructing WM pathways. Despite being aware of the well-known pitfalls in analyzing dMRI data and several other limitations of FT discussed in recent literature, we present the superoanterior fasciculus (SAF), a novel bilateral fiber tract in the frontal region of the human brain that—to the best of our knowledge—has not been documented. The SAF has a similar shape to the anterior part of the cingulum bundle, but it is located more frontally. To minimize the possibility that these FT findings are based on acquisition or processing artifacts, different dMRI data sets and processing pipelines have been used to describe the SAF. Furthermore, we evaluated the configuration of the SAF with complementary methods, such as polarized light imaging (PLI) and human brain dissections. The FT results of the SAF demonstrate a long pathway, consistent across individuals, while the human dissections indicate fiber pathways connecting the postero-dorsal with the antero-dorsal cortices of the frontal lobe.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnana.2019.00024/fullbraindiffusion MRIfiber tractographydissectionpolarized light imagingneuroanatomy |
| spellingShingle | Szabolcs David Anneriet M. Heemskerk Francesco Corrivetti Michel Thiebaut de Schotten Silvio Sarubbo Francesco Corsini Alessandro De Benedictis Laurent Petit Max A. Viergever Derek K. Jones Emmanuel Mandonnet Hubertus Axer John Evans Tomáš Paus Tomáš Paus Alexander Leemans The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? Frontiers in Neuroanatomy brain diffusion MRI fiber tractography dissection polarized light imaging neuroanatomy |
| title | The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? |
| title_full | The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? |
| title_fullStr | The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? |
| title_short | The Superoanterior Fasciculus (SAF): A Novel White Matter Pathway in the Human Brain? |
| title_sort | superoanterior fasciculus saf a novel white matter pathway in the human brain |
| topic | brain diffusion MRI fiber tractography dissection polarized light imaging neuroanatomy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnana.2019.00024/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT szabolcsdavid thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT annerietmheemskerk thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT francescocorrivetti thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT michelthiebautdeschotten thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT silviosarubbo thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT francescocorsini thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT alessandrodebenedictis thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT laurentpetit thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT maxaviergever thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT derekkjones thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT emmanuelmandonnet thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT hubertusaxer thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT johnevans thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT tomaspaus thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT tomaspaus thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT alexanderleemans thesuperoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT szabolcsdavid superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT annerietmheemskerk superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT francescocorrivetti superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT michelthiebautdeschotten superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT silviosarubbo superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT francescocorsini superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT alessandrodebenedictis superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT laurentpetit superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT maxaviergever superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT derekkjones superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT emmanuelmandonnet superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT hubertusaxer superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT johnevans superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT tomaspaus superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT tomaspaus superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain AT alexanderleemans superoanteriorfasciculussafanovelwhitematterpathwayinthehumanbrain |