Corpus callosal connection mapping using cortical gray matter parcellation and DT-MRI

Abstract

Population maps of the corpus callosum (CC) and cortical lobe connections were generated by combining cortical gray matter parcellation with the diffusion tensor fiber tractography of individual subjects. This method is based on the fact that the cortical lobes of both hemispheres are interconnected by the corpus callosal fibers. T1-weighted structural MRIs and diffusion tensor MRIs (DT-MRI) of 22 right-handed, healthy subjects were used. Forty-seven cortical parcellations in the dorsal prefrontal cortex, ventral prefrontal cortex, sensory-motor cortex, parietal cortex, temporal cortex, and occipital cortex were semi-automatically derived from structural MRIs, registered to DT-MRI, and used to identify callosal fibers. The probabilistic connections to each cortex were mapped on entire mid-sagittal CC voxels that had anatomical homology between subjects as determined by spatial registration. According to the population maps of the callosal connections, the ventral prefrontal cortex and parts of the dorsal prefrontal cortex both project fibers through the genu and rostrum. The CC regions through which the superior frontal cortex passes extend into the posterior body. Fibers arising from the parietal lobe and occipital lobe run mainly through the splenium, while fibers arising from the sensory-motor cortex pass through the isthmus. In general, dorsal or medial cortical lobes project fibers through the dorsal region of the CC, while lateral cortical lobes project fibers through the ventral region of the CC. The probabilistic subdivision of the CC by connecting cortical gray matter provides a more precise understanding of the CC.