Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

A Standardized Pipeline for Examining Human Cerebellar Grey Matter Morphometry using Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: February 4, 2022
Brain size and white matter content of cerebrospinal tracts determine the upper cervical cord area: evidence from
Christina Engl1,2, Paul Schmidt1,3, Milan Arsic1,2
1Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
Introduction:
Measurement of the upper cervical cord area (UCCA) from brain MRI may be an effective way to quantify spinal cord involvement in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. However, knowledge on the determinants of UCCA in healthy controls (HCs) is limited.
Methods:
In two cohorts of 133 and 285 HCs, we studied the influence of different demographic, body-related, and brain-related parameters on UCCA by simple and partial correlation analyses as well as by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) across both cerebral gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM).
Results:
First, we confirmed the known but moderate effect of age on UCCA in the older cohort. Second, we studied the correlation of UCCA with sex, body height, and total intracranial volume (TIV). TIV was the only variable that correlated significantly with UCCA after correction for the other variables. Third, we studied the correlation of UCCA with brain-related parameters. Brain volume correlated stronger with UCCA than TIV. Both volumes of the brain tissue compartments GM and WM correlated with UCCA significantly. WM volume explained variance of UCCA after correction for GM volume, whilst the opposite was not observed. Correspondingly, VBM did not yield any brain region, whose GM content correlated significantly with UCCA, whilst cerebral WM content of cerebrospinal tracts strongly correlated with UCCA. This latter effect increased along a craniocaudal gradient.
Conclusion:
UCCA is mainly determined by brain volume as well as by WM content of cerebrospinal tracts.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
The Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord: Gross Anatomy
Cerebellum: Anatomical Regions
Cerebellar Structure
Externally, the cerebellum features a highly convoluted surface with numerous folia (narrow ridges) separated by shallow sulci (grooves). The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by a thin median structure known as the vermis. The...
Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II
Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions
The cerebrum is the largest section of the brain and divides into left and right hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure. The cerebral outer layer of grey matter — the cerebral cortex — comprises elevations called gyri and shallow groves called sulci. The inner portion of white matter includes long nerve fibers known as axons, which connect various areas...

