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Vidal JP, Rachita K, Servais A, Péran P, Pariente J, Bonneville F, Albucher JF, Danet L, Barbeau EJ. Exploring the impact of the interthalamic adhesion on human cognition: insights from healthy subjects and thalamic stroke patients. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12566-z. [PMID: 39017701 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12566-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
The interthalamic adhesion (IA) is a structure that connects the median borders of both thalami. Its anatomical variants and functions remain poorly studied. The main objective of this study was to explore the role of the IA on cognition. 42 healthy subjects and 40 patients with chronic isolated thalamic strokes underwent a neuroimaging and a neuropsychological assessment. The presence, absence, or lesion of the IA and its anatomical variants were evaluated. 76% of participants had an IA, with a higher prevalence among women (92%) than men (61%). The presence or absence of an IA did not affect the neuropsychological performance of healthy subjects nor did the type of IA variant. Across all the tests and when compared to healthy subjects using a Bayesian rmANOVA, patients exhibiting more cognitive impairments were those without an IA (n = 10, BF10 = 10,648), while those with an IA were more preserved (n = 18, BF10 = 157). More specifically, patients without an IA performed more poorly in verbal memory or the Stroop task versus healthy subjects. This was not explained by age, laterality of the infarct, volume or localization of the lesion. Patients with a lesioned IA (n = 12) presented a similar trend to patients without an IA, which could however be explained by a greater volume of lesions. The IA does not appear to play a major role in cognition in healthy subjects, but could play a compensatory role in patients with thalamic lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie P Vidal
- CerCo (Brain and Cognition Research Center), CNRS, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France.
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France.
| | - Kévin Rachita
- Neurology Department, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France
| | - Anaïs Servais
- CerCo (Brain and Cognition Research Center), CNRS, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
| | - Patrice Péran
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
| | - Jérémie Pariente
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Neurology Department, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France
| | - Fabrice Bonneville
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Neurology Department, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-François Albucher
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Neurology Department, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France
| | - Lola Danet
- ToNiC (Toulouse NeuroImaging Center), INSERM, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
- Neurology Department, Purpan Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel J Barbeau
- CerCo (Brain and Cognition Research Center), CNRS, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
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Beger O, Alpergin BC, Zaimoglu M, Orhan O, Kılınç MC, Unal S, Eray HA, Eroglu U. Massa intermedia in adults: incidence, dimension, location and clinical importance. Surg Radiol Anat 2024; 46:137-152. [PMID: 38191743 DOI: 10.1007/s00276-023-03274-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This retrospective magnetic resonance imaging investigation aimed to obtain information related to the anatomy of the massa intermedia (MI) in an adult population. METHODS The work conducted on MRI views of 1058 (539 males and 519 females) healthy adult samples aged with 48.93 ± 17.63 years. Initially, the presence or absence of MI was noted, and then if present, its numbers and location in the third ventricle were recorded. Its horizontal (HDMI) and vertical (VDMI) diameters were measured on MRI views, while the cross-sectional area (CSAMI) was calculated using its diameters. RESULTS MI was missing in 2.6% (27 cases) of 1058 adult samples. Six subjects (0.6%) had a double MI. HDMI, VDMI and CSAMI were measured as 4.83 ± 1.01 mm, 4.86 ± 0.98 mm, and 19.11 ± 7.23 mm2, respectively. MI size did not show a significant alteration from 19 up to 49 years, but then its size distinctly decreased between 50 and 60 years. After age 60, MI dimension did not display an important change. MI was settled in the antero-superior quadrant in 929 cases (90.63% of 1025 subjects), in the postero-superior quadrant in 22 cases (2.15%), in the antero-inferior quadrant in 32 cases (3.12%), in the postero-inferior quadrant in 8 cases (0.78%), and in the central part in 34 cases (3.32%). CONCLUSIONS The size, position and incidence of MI were not affected by sex, and its position and incidence were not affected by adult age periods. In adults, MI size demonstrated a significant decrease in the middle age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orhan Beger
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, 27310, Turkey.
| | - Baran Can Alpergin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Murat Zaimoglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Orhan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Cemil Kılınç
- Çorum Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey
| | - Sena Unal
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Halit Anil Eray
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Umit Eroglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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Kılınç MC, Alpergin BC, Mete EB, Eroglu U, Beger O. Anatomic Features of the Interthalamic Adhesion in the Pediatric Population. World Neurosurg 2023; 180:e631-e643. [PMID: 37806519 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The main goal of this retrospective study was to examine the morphology of the interthalamic adhesion (ITA) in normal children aged between 1 and 18 years. METHODS The study universe consisted of magnetic resonance images of 180 healthy pediatric subjects (age, 9.50 ± 5.20 years, sex, 90 girls and 90 boys). The cross-sectional area (CSA), vertical diameter (VD), and horizontal diameter (HD) of the ITA were measured and in addition, its location was noted. RESULTS HD, VD, and CSA of the ITA were measured as 8.47 ± 1.64 mm, 7.59 ± 1.57 mm, and 52.06 ± 18.51 mm2, respectively. HD did not change from infancy until postpubescence, but then significantly decreased (P < 0.001). VD increased up to early childhood but then did not alter until the end of prepubescence. After that period, it decreased in postpubescence (P < 0.001). CSA tended to decrease in an irregular pattern according to pediatric age periods (P < 0.001). The ITA was located at the anterosuperior quadrant in 138 individuals (76.70%), at the anteroinferior quadrant in 7 individuals (3.90%), and the center of the lateral wall of the third ventricle in 35 individuals (19.40%). Linear functions were calculated as y = 9.490-0.107 × age (years) for HD, y = 8.453-0.091 × age (years) for VD, and y = 63.559-1.211 × age (years) for CSA. CONCLUSIONS ITA size irregularly decreases with advancing age from 1 to 18 years. Our calculated linear functions, showing the growth dynamics of the ITA by pediatric ages, may be helpful in estimating its dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Cemil Kılınç
- Department of Neurosurgery, Çorum Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital, Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey
| | - Baran Can Alpergin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre Bahir Mete
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Umit Eroglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Orhan Beger
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
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Asghar A, Narayan RK, Kumar P, Ravi KS, Tubbs RS, Patra A, Naaz S. Absence of the interthalamic adhesion (ITA) as a neuroanatomical association or risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders: A systemic review and meta-analysis. Indian J Psychiatry 2023; 65:985-994. [PMID: 38108053 PMCID: PMC10725209 DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_744_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to provide an up-to-date account of the frequency of "the absence of interthalamic adhesion (AITA) as a risk factor or association" in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric patients. Owing to the increased interest in the contribution of ITA to neurological function in previous literature, a meta-analysis of its frequency and sex dependency is required. Aim This study aimed to study whether the AITA is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Settings and Design This study is a meta-analysis and systemic review. Methods and Material Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using the keywords "interthalamic adhesion," "massa intermedia," "adhesio interthalamica," and "adhesion" along with the Boolean operators (OR, AND, and NOT). Three reviewers independently assessed the abstracts and full texts for validation based on the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 for descriptive studies and RevMan 5.2 for comparative studies. Results The incidence of absent ITA was 15.3% in healthy subjects and 28.76% in neuropsychiatric subjects. The relative probability of AITA was 2.30 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.96-2.70] in neuropsychiatric illness. Healthy men were 1.91 times more likely, and men with neuropsychiatric disorders were 1.82 times more likely to have absent ITA than women. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, a consistent association of AITA with psychiatric disorders was observed, rendering the condition to be treated as an associated risk factor affecting the function of the habenula nuclear complex via the stria medullaris thalami. A cohort or longitudinal study is needed to compare the incidence of psychiatric disorders in individuals with or without ITA and to calculate the attributed risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adil Asghar
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Ravi K. Narayan
- Department of Anatomy, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Bihta, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Kumar S. Ravi
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| | - R. Shane Tubbs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University School of Medicine, St. George's, Grenada
| | - Apurba Patra
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, Punjab, India
| | - Shagufta Naaz
- Department of Anaesthesiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India
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Volumetric MRI Findings in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and Neuropsychological Outcome. Neuropsychol Rev 2023; 33:5-41. [PMID: 33656702 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09474-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Region of interest (ROI) volumetric assessment has become a standard technique in quantitative neuroimaging. ROI volume is thought to represent a coarse proxy for making inferences about the structural integrity of a brain region when compared to normative values representative of a healthy sample, adjusted for age and various demographic factors. This review focuses on structural volumetric analyses that have been performed in the study of neuropathological effects from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in relation to neuropsychological outcome. From a ROI perspective, the probable candidate structures that are most likely affected in mTBI represent the target regions covered in this review. These include the corpus callosum, cingulate, thalamus, pituitary-hypothalamic area, basal ganglia, amygdala, and hippocampus and associated structures including the fornix and mammillary bodies, as well as whole brain and cerebral cortex along with the cerebellum. Ventricular volumetrics are also reviewed as an indirect assessment of parenchymal change in response to injury. This review demonstrates the potential role and limitations of examining structural changes in the ROIs mentioned above in relation to neuropsychological outcome. There is also discussion and review of the role that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may play in structural outcome in mTBI. As emphasized in the conclusions, structural volumetric findings in mTBI are likely just a single facet of what should be a multimodality approach to image analysis in mTBI, with an emphasis on how the injury damages or disrupts neural network integrity. The review provides an historical context to quantitative neuroimaging in neuropsychology along with commentary about future directions for volumetric neuroimaging research in mTBI.
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Imai A, Matsuoka T, Narumoto J. Older people with severe loneliness have an atrophied thalamus, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022; 37. [PMID: 36394171 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Loneliness has been shown to increase the risk of dementia. However, it is unclear why greater loneliness is associated with greater susceptibility to dementia. Herein, we aimed to examine the morphological characteristics of the brain associated with loneliness in older people concerned about cognitive dysfunction. METHODS In this retrospective study, 110 participants (80 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 30 cognitively healthy individuals) were included. Participants were assessed using the revised University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale and had undergone magnetic resonance imaging. Spearman correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to examine the clinical factors associated with loneliness. Multiple regression was performed to examine the relationship between the revised UCLA loneliness scale score and regional gray matter (GM) volume on voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS The revised UCLA loneliness scale scores were not significantly correlated with age, sex, or mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. Multiple regression using age, sex, MMSE score, and total brain volume as covariates showed negative correlations of the revised UCLA loneliness scale scores with the grey matter volume in regions centered on the bilateral thalamus, left hippocampus and left parahippocampal gyrus, and left entorhinal area. CONCLUSIONS Subjective loneliness was associated with decreased GM volume in the bilateral thalamus, left hippocampus, and left entorhinal cortex of the brain in the older people, thereby providing a morphological basis for the increased risk of dementia associated with greater loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayu Imai
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Matsuoka
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jin Narumoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Patra A, Ravi KS, Asghar A. The Prevalence, Location, and Dimensions Of Interthalamic Adhesions and Their Clinical Significance: Corpse Brain Analysis. Asian J Neurosurg 2022; 17:600-605. [PMID: 36570759 PMCID: PMC9771615 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Interthalamic adhesion (ITA) or massa intermedia is a midline rod-like neural structure interconnecting the medial surfaces of two thalami. Its absence is considered as a midline defect associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence, location, and dimensions of the ITA in South Asian brains. Materials and Methods One hundred midsagittal sections of adult cadaveric brains were examined for the presence or absence of ITAs, their location about the lateral wall of the third ventricle, and their dimensions. Results ITA was found in 86 sections. In two cases, it was double. There was no significant relationship between the incidence of ITAs and sex ( p > 0.05). The ITA was most commonly located in the anterosuperior quadrant. The horizontal diameter was 4.61 ± 1.17 mm, and the vertical diameter was 3.10 ± 0.78 mm. In all cases, the horizontal diameter was longer than the vertical. The average area of the ITA was significantly larger in females (17.56 ± 5.26 mm 2 ) than in males (13.62 ± 5.22 mm 2 ) ( p = 0.025). Conclusion Presence of ITA is common in South Asian brains, with usual location in the anterosuperior quadrant of the lateral wall of the third ventricle. The cross-sectional area of the ITA was significantly larger in females than in males. No correlation was found between the surface area of the ITA and the length of the third ventricle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurba Patra
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bathinda, Bathinda, Punjab, India,Address for correspondence Apurba Patra, MD, DNB, MNAMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences BathindaBathinda, Punjab, 151001India
| | - Kumar Satish Ravi
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Adil Asghar
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Patna, Patna, Bihar, India
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Imaging the Limbic System in Parkinson's Disease-A Review of Limbic Pathology and Clinical Symptoms. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091248. [PMID: 36138984 PMCID: PMC9496800 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The limbic system describes a complex of brain structures central for memory, learning, as well as goal directed and emotional behavior. In addition to pathological studies, recent findings using in vivo structural and functional imaging of the brain pinpoint the vulnerability of limbic structures to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) throughout the disease course. Accordingly, dysfunction of the limbic system is critically related to the symptom complex which characterizes PD, including neuropsychiatric, vegetative, and motor symptoms, and their heterogeneity in patients with PD. The aim of this systematic review was to put the spotlight on neuroimaging of the limbic system in PD and to give an overview of the most important structures affected by the disease, their function, disease related alterations, and corresponding clinical manifestations. PubMed was searched in order to identify the most recent studies that investigate the limbic system in PD with the help of neuroimaging methods. First, PD related neuropathological changes and corresponding clinical symptoms of each limbic system region are reviewed, and, finally, a network integration of the limbic system within the complex of PD pathology is discussed.
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Hitti FL, Parker D, Yang AI, Brem S, Verma R. Laterality and Sex Differences of Human Lateral Habenula Afferent and Efferent Fiber Tracts. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:837624. [PMID: 35784832 PMCID: PMC9243380 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.837624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The lateral habenula (LHb) is an epithalamic nucleus associated with negative valence and affective disorders. It receives input via the stria medullaris (SM) and sends output via the fasciculus retroflexus (FR). Here, we use tractography to reconstruct and characterize this pathway. Methods Multi-shell human diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data was obtained from the human connectome project (HCP) (n = 20, 10 males) and from healthy controls (n = 10, 6 males) scanned at our institution. We generated LHb afferents and efferents using probabilistic tractography by selecting the pallidum as the seed region and the ventral tegmental area as the output target. Results We were able to reconstruct the intended streamlines in all individuals from the HCP dataset and our dataset. Our technique also aided in identification of the LHb. In right-handed individuals, the streamlines were significantly more numerous in the left hemisphere (mean ratio 1.59 ± 0.09, p = 0.04). In left-handed individuals, there was no hemispheric asymmetry on average (mean ratio 1.00 ± 0.09, p = 1.0). Additionally, these streamlines were significantly more numerous in females than in males (619.9 ± 159.7 vs. 225.9 ± 66.03, p = 0.04). Conclusion We developed a method to reconstruct the SM and FR without manual identification of the LHb. This technique enables targeting of these fiber tracts as well as the LHb. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that there are sex and hemispheric differences in streamline number. These findings may have therapeutic implications and warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick L. Hitti
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Frederick L. Hitti,
| | - Drew Parker
- Diffusion and Connectomics in Precision Healthcare Research Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Andrew I. Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Steven Brem
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ragini Verma
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Diffusion and Connectomics in Precision Healthcare Research Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Parra JED, Ripoll ÁP, García JFV. Interthalamic adhesion in humans: a gray commissure? Anat Cell Biol 2021; 55:109-112. [PMID: 34675136 PMCID: PMC8968232 DOI: 10.5115/acb.21.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Interthalamic adhesion is an inconstant part of the human diencephalic neuroanatomy, which some histological studies have indicated it is a gray commissure and others a white commissure. Its presence has been associated with alterations in health status, including schizophrenia, psychotic states, and hydrocephalus. Thirty-one fresh human brains were evaluated randomly, to determine the presence of interthalamic adhesion and its histological composition, by way of lamina terminalis puncture of the third ventricle. Photographic records were taken and histological processes was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, in the case of the existence of the adhesion. It was found that 51.71% did present interthalamic adhesion, and on histological examination, no neuron bodies were found in the median part, which implies that does not correspond to a gray commissure, but interthalamic adhesion in humans is variable, with a predominance of glial cells. There is no gray commissure in human interthalamic adhesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Eduardo Duque Parra
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.,Medicine Program, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Álex Pava Ripoll
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia.,Medicine Program, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Juan Fernando Vélez García
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia
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Prevalence of the interthalamic adhesion in the human brain: a review of literature. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:2481-2487. [PMID: 34254165 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02287-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The interthalamic adhesion (IA) is a midline structure connecting the two thalami. Though it has been studied for centuries its exact function remains elusive. Early studies had noted its peculiar absence even among some healthy individuals. Population studies have investigated the differences in prevalence of IA in pathologic conditions and healthy controls. However, there is a general lack of consensus on IA prevalence in the healthy population. Understanding the true prevalence is critical in providing context for future studies, as well as uncovering further clues regarding IA's function. We systematically reviewed the existing literature to evaluate the prevalence of IA. The average prevalence among reviewed studies was higher than previously reported, at 87.3%. Studies utilizing magnetic resonance imaging rather than cadaveric specimens reported higher rates of IA prevalence. A higher prevalence among females was noted throughout the literature that persisted regardless of acquisition modality utilized.
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Tsutsumi S, Ono H, Ishii H. Massa intermedia of the thalamus: an anatomical study using magnetic resonance imaging. Surg Radiol Anat 2021; 43:1927-1932. [PMID: 34143235 DOI: 10.1007/s00276-021-02788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Few studies have explored the morphology of massa intermedia (MI). The aim of the present study was to characterize it using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS A total of 205 patients were enrolled in this study. Following initial examinations with conventional MRI sequences, thin-slice coronal and sagittal T2-weighted imaging was performed. For MI localization, the third ventricle was arbitrarily divided into nine areas on the midsagittal image. RESULTS MI was identified in 93% of the total patients-89% in male and 91% in female patients. Among them, 68% showed a single, styloid-shaped MI with variable thickness and cross sectional configuration, followed by broad and double MIs that were found in 18% and 10% patients, respectively. In the anteroposterior dimension, 99% of the MIs were identified in the middle third area, followed by the posterior third area. In the supero-inferior dimension, 95% of the MIs were identified in the middle third area, followed by the upper third area. With a significant difference, a broad MI was more frequently found in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS MIs are commonly located in the middle third of the third ventricle as a single commissure with high morphological variability. Compared to men, women may have a well-developed, broader MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Tsutsumi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1 Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan.
| | - Hideo Ono
- Division of Radiological Technology, Medical Satellite Yaesu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisato Ishii
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1 Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan
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Kheiralla O, Abdalkariem A, Alghamdi A, Tajaldeen A, Hamid N. Diffusion Tensor Imaging: A Promising New Technique for Accurate Identification of the Stria Medullaris and Habenula. Open Neuroimag J 2021. [DOI: 10.2174/1874440002114010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Stria Medullaris (SM) is a white-matter tract that contains afferent fibres that connect the cognitive-emotional areas in the forebrain to the Habenula (Hb). The Hb plays an important role in behavioral responses to reward, stress, anxiety, pain, and sleep through its action on neuromodulator systems. The Fasciculus Retroflexus (FR) forms the primary output of the Hb to the midbrain. The SM, Hb, and FR are part of a special pathway between the forebrain and the midbrain known as the Dorsal Diencephalic Conduction system (DDC). Hb dysfunction is accompanied by different types of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, and Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). Due to difficulties in the imaging assessment of the SM and HB in vivo, they had not been a focus of clinical studies until the invention of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), which has revolutionized the imaging and investigation of the SM and Hb. DTI has facilitated the imaging of the SM and Hb and has provided insights into their properties through the investigation of their monoamine dysregulation. DTI is a well-established technique for mapping brain microstructure and white matter tracts; it provides indirect information about the microstructural architecture and integrity of white matter in vivo, based on water diffusion properties in the intra- and extracellular space, such as Axial Diffusivity (AD), Radial Diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity, and Fractional Anisotropy (FA). Neurosurgeons have recognized the potential value of DTI in the direct anatomical targeting of the SM and Hb prior to Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery for the treatment of certain neuropsychiatric conditions, such as TRD. DTI is the only non-invasive method that offers the possibility of visualization in vivo of the white-matter tracts and nuclei in the human brain. This review study summarizes the use of DTI as a promising new imaging method for accurate identification of the SM and Hb, with special emphasis on direct anatomical targeting of the SM and Hb prior to DBS surgery.
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Borghei A, Kapucu I, Dawe R, Kocak M, Sani S. Structural connectivity of the human massa intermedia: A probabilistic tractography study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1794-1804. [PMID: 33471942 PMCID: PMC7978115 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of massa intermedia (MI) is poorly understood in humans. Recent studies suggest its presence may play a role in normal human neurocognitive function while prior studies have shown the absence of MI correlated with psychiatric disorders. There is growing evidence that MI is likely a midline white matter conduit, responsible for interhemispheric connectivity, similar to other midline commissures. MI presence was identified in an unrelated sample using the Human Connectome Project database. MI structural connectivity maps were created and gray matter target regions were identified using probabilistic tractography of the whole brain. Probabilistic tractography revealed an extensive network of connections between MI and limbic, frontal and temporal lobes as well as insula and pericalcarine cortices. Women compared to men had stronger connectivity via their MI. The presented results support the role of MI as a midline commissure with strong connectivity to the amygdala, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Borghei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Irem Kapucu
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Johnston R Bowman Health Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Robert Dawe
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Johnston R Bowman Health Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehmet Kocak
- Department of Radiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sepehr Sani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Prevalence and anatomical characteristics of the human massa intermedia. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:471-480. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02193-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Whitehead MT, Najim N. Thalamic Massa Intermedia in Children with and without Midline Brain Malformations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2020; 41:729-735. [PMID: 32115420 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a6446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The massa intermedia is a normal midline transventricular thalamic connection. Massa intermedia aberrations are common in schizophrenia, Chiari II malformation, X-linked hydrocephalus, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and diencephalic-mesencephalic junction dysplasia, among others. We have noticed that massa intermedia abnormalities often accompany other midline malformations. The massa intermedia has never been formally evaluated in a group of exclusively pediatric patients, to our knowledge. We sought to compare and contrast the prevalence, size, and location of the massa intermedia in pediatric patients with and without congenital midline brain abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS Successive 3T brain MR imaging examinations from pediatric patients with and without midline malformations were procured from the imaging data base at a pediatric hospital. Massa intermedia presence, size, morphology, and position were determined using 3D-TIWI with 1-mm isotropic resolution. The brain commissures, septum pellucidum, hypothalamus, hippocampus, vermis, and brain stem were evaluated to determine whether alterations were related to or predictive of massa intermedia abnormalities. RESULTS The massa intermedia was more frequently absent, dysmorphic, and/or displaced in patients with additional midline abnormalities than in those without. The massa intermedia was absent in 40% of patients with midline malformations versus 12% of patients with normal findings (P < .001). Massa intermedia absence, surface area, and morphology were predictable by various attributes and alterations of the commissures, hippocampus, hypothalamus, vermis, brain stem, and third ventricle. CONCLUSIONS Most pediatric patients have a thalamic massa intermedia centered in the anterior/superior third ventricle. Massa intermedia abnormalities are commonly associated with other midline malformations. Normal-variant massa intermedia absence is a diagnosis of exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Whitehead
- From the Department of Radiology (M.T.W., N.N.), Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC .,The George Washington University Hospital (M.T.W.), Washington, DC
| | - N Najim
- From the Department of Radiology (M.T.W., N.N.), Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
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Borghei A, Cothran T, Brahimaj B, Sani S. Role of massa intermedia in human neurocognitive processing. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:985-993. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02050-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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