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Cortical network for gaze control in humans revealed using multimodal MRI
Elaine J Anderson1, Derek K Jones, Ruth L O'Gorman
1UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London WC1N 3AR, UK. e.anderson@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|June 23, 2011
Summary
This study combined functional MRI and diffusion MRI to map brain networks for eye movements. It revealed structural connections between eye field regions, highlighting right hemisphere dominance for attention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identifies brain regions involved in cognitive tasks.
- The structural connectivity of these functionally defined brain networks is often unknown.
- Investigating the link between functional activity and structural connections is crucial for understanding brain networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the cortical network underlying saccadic eye movement control in humans using multimodal imaging.
- To investigate the structural connectivity of functionally identified brain regions involved in eye movements.
- To explore potential hemispheric asymmetries in these brain networks.
Main Methods:
- Combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion MRI-based tractography.
- Identification of cortical nodes involved in saccadic eye movement control.
- Analysis of white matter pathways connecting these nodes.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated white matter pathways connecting the frontal eye fields and supplementary eye fields.
- Observed more prominent connections in the right hemisphere.
- Identified a right hemisphere-dominant dorsal frontoparietal pathway connecting the frontal eye field and inferior parietal lobe.
Conclusions:
- Multimodal imaging is effective for defining large-scale brain networks.
- The findings support right hemisphere specialization for directed attention.
- Established structural connections within the human eye movement control network, revealing hemispheric asymmetries.
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