Neuroanatomical and Functional Dissociations between Variably Present Anterior Lateral Prefrontal Sulci

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Brain Anatomy
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is crucial for complex human cognitive functions.
• Individual differences in LPFC sulcal patterns are linked to cognitive performance.
• The relationship between LPFC sulcal anatomy and functional organization remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the presence of specific sulci in the anterior LPFC relates to individual differences in its functional organization.
• To characterize the morphological, architectural, and functional properties of the paraintermediate frontal sulcus (pimfs) components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multimodal neuroimaging data from 82 young adult humans.
• Analyzed surface area, thickness, myelination, and resting-state connectivity.
• Contextualized pimfs components within established cortical parcellations.

Main Results:

• The dorsal and ventral components of the pimfs exhibit distinct morphological and architectural features.
• These pimfs components show unique resting-state connectivity network properties.
• The pimfs components delineate transitions in LPFC anatomy and function.

Conclusions:

• The dorsal and ventral pimfs components are critical for understanding individual variations in LPFC organization.
• Sulcal anatomy, specifically the pimfs, should be considered in future individual-level LPFC parcellations.
• The pimfs serves as a significant landmark for LPFC anatomical and functional studies.