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The diagonal band of Broca in health and disease

Alan King Lun Liu1, Steve M Gentleman1

  • 1Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|July 6, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (nvlDBB) is crucial for memory. This study reestablishes its anatomy and proposes a link between nvlDBB cholinergic neurons and hippocampal CA2, relevant to Lewy body dementias.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Cholinergic Systems

Background:

  • The nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (nvlDBB) is a major cholinergic center projecting to the hippocampus.
  • Its anatomical boundaries are ill-defined, hindering investigation.
  • nvlDBB cholinergic neuron loss is implicated in neurological disorders, notably Lewy body dementias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reestablish the precise anatomy of the nvlDBB.
  • To differentiate the nvlDBB from adjacent basal forebrain cholinergic nuclei.
  • To propose a functional connection between the nvlDBB and the hippocampus in the context of memory and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical anatomical literature.
  • Comparative analysis of nvlDBB with neighboring cholinergic nuclei.
  • Synthesis of retrograde tracer studies and functional imaging data.

Main Results:

  • The anatomical boundaries of the nvlDBB have been clarified.
  • Reciprocal connections between the nvlDBB and hippocampal CA2 subfield are confirmed.
  • The nvlDBB's role in memory retrieval is highlighted.

Conclusions:

  • A clear anatomical definition of the nvlDBB is provided.
  • A proposed anatomical and functional link exists between the cholinergic component of the nvlDBB (Ch2) and the hippocampal CA2.
  • This connection is particularly relevant to understanding memory deficits in Lewy body dementias.

Keywords:
AcetylcholinesteraseAlzheimer's diseaseBasal forebrainCholine acetyltransferaseCholinergicDiagonal band of BrocaHippocampal CA2Lewy body dementiaMemory retrievalParkinson's disease

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