Multimodal architectonic mapping of human superior temporal gyrus

Abstract coding of audiovisual speech: beyond sensory representation

Is there a neural representation of speech that transcends its sensory properties? Using fMRI, we investigated whether there are brain areas where neural activity during observation of sublexical audiovisual input corresponds to a listener's speech percept (what is "heard") independent of the sensory properties of the input. A target audiovisual stimulus was preceded by stimuli that (1) shared the target's auditory features (auditory overlap), (2) shared the target's visual features (visual overlap), or (3) shared neither the target's auditory or visual features but were perceived as the target (perceptual overlap). In two left-hemisphere regions (pars opercularis, planum polare), the target invoked less activity when it was preceded by the perceptually overlapping stimulus than when preceded by stimuli that shared one of its sensory components. This pattern of neural facilitation indicates that these regions code sublexical speech at an abstract level corresponding to that of the speech percept.

Telencephalon: Neocortex

The neocortex is an ultracomplex, six-layered structure that develops from the dorsal palliai sector of the telencephalic hemispheres (Figs. 2.24, 2.25, 11.1). All mammals, including monotremes and marsupials, possess a neocortex, but in reptiles, i.e. the ancestors of mammals, only a three-layered neocortical primordium is present [509, 511]. The term neocortex refers to its late phylogenetic appearance, in comparison to the “palaeocortical” olfactory cortex and the “archicortical” hippocampal cortex, both of which are present in all amniotes [509].

Laminar distribution and co-distribution of neurotransmitter receptors in early human visual cortex

The laminar distributions of 16 neurotransmitter receptor binding sites were analysed in visual cortical areas V1-V3 by quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography. For each receptor (glutamatergic: AMPA, kainate, NMDA; cholinergic: M1, M2, M3, nicotinic; GABAergic: GABAA, GABAB, benzodiazepine binding-sites; adrenergic: alpha1, alpha2; serotoninergic: 5-HT1A, 5-HT2; dopaminergic: D1; Adenosine: A1), density profiles extracted perpendicular to the cortical surface were compared to cyto- and myeloarchitectonic profiles sampled at corresponding cortical sites. When testing for differences in laminar distribution patterns, all receptor-density profiles differed significantly from the cyto- and myeloarchitectonic ones. These results indicate that receptor distribution is an independent feature of the cortical architecture not predictable by densities of cell bodies or myelinated fibres. Receptor co-distribution was studied by cluster analyses, revealing several groups of receptors, which showed similar laminar distribution patterns across all analysed areas (V1-V3). Other receptors were co-distributed in extrastriate but not primary visual cortex. Finally, some receptors were not co-distributed with any of the analysed other ones. A comparison of the laminar patterns of receptor binding sites in the human visual cortex with those reported for non-human primates and other mammals showed that the laminar distributions of cholinergic and glutamatergic receptors seem largely preserved, while serotoninergic and adrenergic receptors appear to be more variable between different species.

A Proposed Number System for the 107 Cortical Areas of Economo and Koskinas, and Brodmann Area Correlations

In their Atlas of Cytoarchitectonics of the Adult Human Cerebral Cortex, Economo and Koskinas defined 54 'ground,' 76 'variant,' and 107 'modification' areas. The 107 modifications are topographically distributed as 35 frontal, 13 superior limbic, 6 insular, 18 parietal, 7 occipital, 14 temporal and 14 inferior limbic (or hippocampal). One way to make the Economo-Koskinas system more practical is to encode the complex symbol notations of the 107 cortical areas with numbers EK 1 through EK 107. The present study does that, and it further correlates Economo-Koskinas areas with Brodmann areas, based on an overview of the classical and modern neurohistological literature.

Extended neocortical maturation time encompasses speciation, fatty acid and lateralization theories of the evolution of schizophrenia and creativity

I suggest that the extended maturation time of some regions of the human neocortex is the uniquely human factor which allows the development of language, creativity and madness. The genetic event or events which contribute to the long delay to final maturation occurred at or after the speciation of Homo sapiens sapiens. Neocortical growth may follow the previously detailed "balloon model", which suggests that intra- and subcortical myelin production during development physically stretches each local area of the cortex tangentially to the pial surface, thereby causing neuronal columns to become more disjoint and more functionally independent, thereby increasing the functional capacity of the area [Seldon HL. Does brain white matter growth expand the cortex like a balloon? Hypothesis and consequences. Laterality 2005;10(1):81-95]. This occurs in addition to Hebbian synaptic modeling. Therefore, the size and functional capacity of each cytoarchitectonic area of each individual adult neocortex are the outcomes of partly deterministic (e.g., genetic) and partly statistical growth processes with numerous factors including environmental stimuli and fatty acid content in diets. The possible functional capacity and variation among growth outcomes increase with the length of time allowed to "finalize" synaptic weights, myelination and other plastic processes. For example, acquisition of quite differing linguistic skills becomes possible only in Homo sapiens because of the extended, decades-long plasticity of temporal lobe areas; in contrast, tactile skills vary little among human races and cultures, or even among higher primates, because of the faster maturation of the somatomotor areas. Some of the statistically extreme variations of the neocortical growth processes lead to abnormal cognition and behavior called "madness" or "genius". This maturation hypothesis overcomes some problems with those based purely on fatty acid metabolism or on functional asymmetry (non-human species show functional asymmetry, but no language. Neanderthals had brains comparable in size and shape to ours, but failed to develop language or creativity). This hypothesis implies that the search for genetic factors should include those which influence the temporal regulation of neuronal and myelin growth, but it also allows the development of unusual creativity or madness as a statistical extreme in the absence of any deterministic factors. It has implications about our attitudes toward mental "disorders" and about potential approaches to treating some of them - for example, attempting communication and conditioning via those senses and cortical areas which show less variation and are less affected.

Assignment of functional activations to probabilistic cytoarchitectonic areas revisited

Probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps in standard reference space provide a powerful tool for the analysis of structure-function relationships in the human brain. While these microstructurally defined maps have already been successfully used in the analysis of somatosensory, motor or language functions, several conceptual issues in the analysis of structure-function relationships still demand further clarification. In this paper, we demonstrate the principle approaches for anatomical localisation of functional activations based on probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps by exemplary analysis of an anterior parietal activation evoked by visual presentation of hand gestures. After consideration of the conceptual basis and implementation of volume or local maxima labelling, we comment on some potential interpretational difficulties, limitations and caveats that could be encountered. Extending and supplementing these methods, we then propose a supplementary approach for quantification of structure-function correspondences based on distribution analysis. This approach relates the cytoarchitectonic probabilities observed at a particular functionally defined location to the areal specific null distribution of probabilities across the whole brain (i.e., the full probability map). Importantly, this method avoids the need for a unique classification of voxels to a single cortical area and may increase the comparability between results obtained for different areas. Moreover, as distribution-based labelling quantifies the "central tendency" of an activation with respect to anatomical areas, it will, in combination with the established methods, allow an advanced characterisation of the anatomical substrates of functional activations. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed, focussing on the question of which approach is most appropriate for a particular situation.

Cytoarchitecture of the cerebral cortex--more than localization

The present paper reviews that macroanatomical landmarks are problematic for a reliable and sufficiently precise localization of clusters of activation obtained by functional imaging because sulcal and gyral patterns are extremely variable and macroanatomical landmarks do not match (in nearly all cases) architectonically defined borders. It argues that cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps currently offer the most precise tool for the localization of brain functions as obtained from functional imaging studies. Finally, it provides some examples that cytoarchitecture is more than localization with respect to a particular brain region because it reflects the inner organization of cortical areas and, furthermore, functional principles of the brain.

Heschl's gyrus, posterior superior temporal gyrus, and mid-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex have different roles in the detection of acoustic changes

A part of the auditory system automatically detects changes in the acoustic environment. This preattentional process has been studied extensively, yet its cerebral origins have not been determined with sufficient accuracy to allow comparison to established anatomical and functional parcellations. Here we used event-related functional MRI and EEG in a parametric experimental design to determine the cortical areas in individual brains that participate in the detection of acoustic changes. Our results suggest that automatic change processing consists of at least three stages: initial detection in the primary auditory cortex, detailed analysis in the posterior superior temporal gyrus and planum temporale, and judgment of sufficient novelty for the allocation of attentional resources in the mid-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.

Analysis of neurotransmitter receptor distribution patterns in the cerebral cortex

The concentration of transmitter receptors varies between different locations in the human cerebral cortex, but also between the different cortical layers within the same area. Analyzing the regional differences in the laminar distribution patterns of various neurotransmitter receptor binding sites by means of quantitative receptor autoradiography may thus provide a functionally relevant insight into the organization of the cortex. Here we introduce an approach to the analysis of in vitro receptor autoradiographic data, providing a framework for the assessment of differences in both mean concentration and laminar distribution patterns across multiple subjects. Initially, laminar receptor distribution patterns for cortical areas are quantified by sampling density profiles in a series of regions of interest (ROIs) from digitalized autoradiographs and computing a mean profile per ROI. These ROI mean profiles are then corrected for distortions in the laminar pattern introduced by cortical folding and averaged to yield a mean profile per area, receptor and hemisphere. Differences in mean binding site concentration between areas are quantified by the asymmetry coefficient which is the difference of the mean concentrations divided by their sum. To quantify differences in laminar receptor distribution patterns between areas, the effects of absolute binding site concentration are first removed by dividing each profile by its mean value. Differences in the laminar pattern were then quantified by calculating the Euclidean distance between these mean corrected profiles. For single subject analysis, we propose a permutation test, comparing the differences between the mean profiles for two areas to differences between groups of profiles randomly assembled from all ROIs sampled in either area. Group inference can then be based on a between-subject conjunction analysis after correcting p-values to control for multiple comparisons. The feasibility of the presented approach is demonstrated by an exemplary analysis of the neurochemical differences between the ventral parts of the second and the third visual area.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus: A New Coil Positioning Method and First Results

Auditory phantom perceptions are associated with hyperactivity of the central auditory system. Neuronavigation guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the area of increased activity was demonstrated to reduce tinnitus perception. The study aimed at developing an easy applicable standard procedure for transcranial magnetic stimulation of the primary auditory cortex and to investigate this coil positioning strategy for the treatment of chronic tinnitus in clinical practice. The left gyrus of Heschl was targeted in 25 healthy subjects using a frameless stereotactical system. Based on individual scalp coordinates of the coil, a positioning strategy with reference to the 10--20-EEG system was developed. Using this coil positioning approach we started an open treatment trial. 28 patients with chronic tinnitus received 10 sessions of rTMS (intensity 110% of motor threshold, 1 Hz, 2000 Stimuli/day). Being within a range of about 20 mm diameter, the scalp coordinates for stimulating the primary auditory cortex allowed to determine a standard procedure for coil positioning. Clinical validation of this coil positioning method resulted in a significant improvement of tinnitus complaints (p<0.001). The newly developed coil positioning strategy may have the potential to offer a more easy-to-use stimulation approach for treating chronic tinnitus as compared with highly sophisticated, imaging guided treatment methods.

Quantitative architectural analysis: a new approach to cortical mapping

Recent progress in anatomical and functional MRI has revived the demand for a reliable, topographic map of the human cerebral cortex. Till date, interpretations of specific activations found in functional imaging studies and their topographical analysis in a spatial reference system are, often, still based on classical architectonic maps. The most commonly used reference atlas is that of Brodmann and his successors, despite its severe inherent drawbacks. One obvious weakness in traditional, architectural mapping is the subjective nature of localising borders between cortical areas, by means of a purely visual, microscopical examination of histological specimens. To overcome this limitation, more objective, quantitative mapping procedures have been established in the past years. The quantification of the neocortical, laminar pattern by defining intensity line profiles across the cortical layers, has a long tradition. During the last years, this method has been extended to enable a reliable, reproducible mapping of the cortex based on image analysis and multivariate statistics. Methodological approaches to such algorithm-based, cortical mapping were published for various architectural modalities. In our contribution, principles of algorithm-based mapping are described for cyto- and receptorarchitecture. In a cytoarchitectural parcellation of the human auditory cortex, using a sliding window procedure, the classical areal pattern of the human superior temporal gyrus was modified by a replacing of Brodmann's areas 41, 42, 22 and parts of area 21, with a novel, more detailed map. An extension and optimisation of the sliding window procedure to the specific requirements of receptorarchitectonic mapping, is also described using the macaque central sulcus and adjacent superior parietal lobule as a second, biologically independent example. Algorithm-based mapping procedures, however, are not limited to these two architectural modalities, but can be applied to all images in which a laminar cortical pattern can be detected and quantified, e.g. myeloarchitectonic and in vivo high resolution MR imaging. Defining cortical borders, based on changes in cortical lamination in high resolution, in vivo structural MR images will result in a rapid increase of our knowledge on the structural parcellation of the human cerebral cortex.