High Resolution Imaging of the Human Subthalamic Nucleus Network
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1
Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Biomedical Image Analysis, Netherlands
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2
Maastricht University, Department of Neuroscience, Netherlands
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3
Maastricht University, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Netherlands
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4
Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Netherlands
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5
Northeastern University, Biomedical and Information Engineering, China
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an important target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Although fitting models of its complex interactions with other basal ganglia nuclei exist (1), its role in Parkinson’s disease and the effect of DBS are not completely understood. This study examines the high resolution anatomy and connectivity of the human STN with 7T ex vivo MRI.
A human post mortem brain specimen including the left STN, substantia nigra (SN), and globus pallidus (GP), was scanned in a 7T MRI scanner. Two scans were performed: a) 0.3 mm nominal isotropic resolution, GRE imaging (TE/TR = 11/37 ms), and b) 0.5 mm isotropic resolution diffusion weighted segmented spin echo 3D EPI (TE/TR = 60/500 ms, 60 directions, 8 b0s, b value = 2800 s/mm2, scan time = 65 hours). After FSL’s eddy current and motion correction (2), the STN’s connections were reconstructed with constrained spherical deconvolution-based probabilistic fiber tracking in MRtrix (3).
Within the STN the tracks ran from its posterolateral to its anteromedial side. We found connections to both the internal GP via the ansa lenticularis and the external GP via straight connections crossing through the internal capsule. Other connections followed the internal capsule in superior direction, or connected the STN to the SNc and the posterior part of the SNr in caudal direction.
Although more specimens should be analyzed to assess the variability of these connection patterns, the findings supplement the classical basal ganglia model and may aid in improving our understanding of the STN’s role in Parkinson’s disease and DBS.
References
1. DeLong MR, Wichmann T. Circuits and circuit disorders of the basal ganglia. Arch Neurol 2007; 64(1): 20-4.
2. Jenkinson M, Beckmann CF, Behrens TE, Woolrich MW, Smith SM. FSL. Neuroimage 2012; 62(2): 782-90.
3. Tournier J-D, Calamante F, Connelly A. MRtrix: Diffusion tractography in crossing fiber regions. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 2012; 22(1): 53-66.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s disease,
Subthalamic Nucleus,
Deep Brain Stimulation,
ultra-high field MRI,
Post mortem
Conference:
Second Belgian Neuroinformatics Congress, Leuven, Belgium, 4 Dec - 4 Dec, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Brain Imaging
Citation:
Plantinga
BR,
Roebroeck
A,
Bastiani
M,
Kemper
VG,
Uludag
K,
Temel
Y and
Ter Haar Romenij
BM
(2015). High Resolution Imaging of the Human Subthalamic Nucleus Network.
Front. Neuroinform.
Conference Abstract:
Second Belgian Neuroinformatics Congress.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fninf.2015.19.00012
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Received:
14 Nov 2015;
Published Online:
17 Nov 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Ms. Birgit R Plantinga, Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Biomedical Image Analysis, Eindhoven, Netherlands, b.r.plantinga@tue.nl