Ventral Precentral Fiber Intersection Area: A Central Hub in the Connectivity of Perisylvian Associative Tracts

Changes of Functional Brain Network in Neonates with Different Degrees of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the main cause of neonatal death and disability worldwide. At present, there are few researches on the application of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore the brain development of HIE children. This study aimed to explore the changes of brain function in neonates with different degrees of HIE using rs-fMRI. Methods: From February 2018 to May 2020, 44 patients with HIE were recruited, including 21 mild patients and 23 moderate and severe patients. The recruited patients were scanned by conventional and functional magnetic resonance image, and the method of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and connecting edge analysis of brain network was used. Results: Compared with the mild group, the connections between the right supplementary motor area and the right precentral gyrus, the right lingual gyrus and the right hippocampus, the left calcarine cortex and the right amygdala, and the right pallidus and the right posterior cingulate cortex in the moderate and severe groups were reduced (t values were 4.04, 4.04, 4.04, 4.07, all p < 0.001, uncorrected). Conclusion: By analyzing the functional connection changes of brain network in infants with different degrees of HIE, the findings of the current study suggested that neonates with moderate to severe HIE lag behind those with mild HIE in emotional processing, sensory movement, cognitive function, and learning and memory. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry registration number: ChiCTR1800016409.

The third branch of the superior longitudinal system

One of the major associative fiber pathways in the brain is the superior longitudinal system. This review discusses the current knowledge gained from studies on the third branch of the superior longitudinal system (SLS) regarding its anatomy, functional role in healthy individuals, results from lesion-symptom mapping studies and intraoperative electrostimulation studies. The results of these studies clearly indicate that the third branch of the SLS is a distinct pathway, as seen both from a functional and anatomical perspective. The third branch of the SLS should be distinguished from the long segment of the arcuate fasciculus, that courses along its trajectory but seems implicated in different functions. Moreover, these studies also provide substantial evidence that the right and left third branch of the SLS have different functional roles. Finally, a hypothesis for an integrated anatomo-functional model is proposed, that describes three subcomponents of the third branch of the superior longitudinal system.