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Structural asymmetries in normal brain anatomy: A brief overview.
1Division of Neuroimaging and Neurointervention, and Stanford Initiative for Multimodality neuro-Imaging in Translational Anatomy Research (SIMITAR), Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
Summary
Normal brain anatomy exhibits subtle structural asymmetries, not perfect symmetry. Understanding these variations is crucial for accurate neuroimaging interpretation and studying brain function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroanatomy
- Human Anatomy
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Interpreting brain anatomy relies on assumed hemispheric symmetry.
- Normal brains possess inherent structural asymmetries that can influence pathology detection and function-brain relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and overview structural asymmetries in normal brain anatomy.
- To highlight the importance of considering brain asymmetries in diagnostics and research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of structural asymmetries in normal brain anatomy.
Main Results:
- Brain structural asymmetries include rotational and right-left variations, often linked to language functions.
- Yakovlevian torque describes rightward frontal lobe and leftward occipital lobe rotation, impacting structures like the Sylvian fissure and planum temporale.
- Asymmetries are observed across cortical and subcortical structures, indicating non-random patterns with evolutionary advantages.
Conclusions:
- Minor brain asymmetries are functionally significant and essential for evolution.
- Accounting for brain asymmetries improves neuroimaging interpretation, lesion localization, and studies on cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
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