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A structural connectivity atlas of limbic brainstem nuclei
Simon Levinson1,2, Michelle Miller1, Ahmed Iftekhar1
1Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Frontiers in Neuroimaging
|August 9, 2023
Summary
This study maps brainstem nuclei connectivity to limbic regions, revealing patterns crucial for understanding emotion and reward processing. These findings aid in developing targeted neuromodulation therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroanatomy
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Understanding brainstem nuclei's structural connectivity to limbic cortical regions is vital for neuromodulation therapies targeting depression, pain, addiction, anxiety, and movement disorders.
- Key monoaminergic nuclei in the brainstem include the locus coeruleus (noradrenergic), dorsal raphe nucleus (serotonergic), and ventral tegmental area (dopaminergic).
- Limited in vivo human data exists on the precise anatomic connectivity of these critical brainstem structures due to study challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the structural connectivity between specific brainstem nuclei (locus coeruleus, ventral tegmental area, periaqueductal grey, dorsal raphe nucleus, nucleus tractus solitarius) and limbic cortical areas.
- To develop a group-averaged MNI atlas of these limbic brainstem structures for future research.
- To provide a foundational understanding of brainstem-cortical pathways influencing emotion, reward, and cognition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 197 Human Connectome Project (HCP) structural MRI datasets.
- Manually masked key brainstem nuclei using FSL (FMRIB Software Library).
- Performed probabilistic tractography with FSL's FMRIB Diffusion Toolbox to analyze connectivity patterns.
Main Results:
- Observed a general trend of high connectivity probability from brainstem nuclei to the amygdala, hippocampus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
- Relatively lower connectivity was noted with the orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus, and insula.
- Locus coeruleus and nucleus tractus solitarius showed significantly greater DLPFC connectivity compared to amygdala connectivity, unlike other studied nuclei.
Conclusions:
- Monoaminergic and other modulatory brainstem nuclei extensively project to cortical limbic regions.
- This study elucidates the structural connectivity of key brainstem nuclei influencing emotion, reward, and cognitive functions.
- Enhanced understanding of the brainstem's anatomic role in emotion and reward processing supports the development of targeted neuromodulatory therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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