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Delineating the Decussating Dentato-rubro-thalamic Tract and Its Connections in Humans Using Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Techniques

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the decussating dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (d-DRTT) and its afferent and efferent connections in healthy humans using diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) techniques. In the present study, the trajectory and lateralization of the d-DRTT was explored using data from subjects in the Massachusetts General Hospital-Human Connectome Project adult diffusion dataset. The afferent and efferent networks that compose the cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathways were also reconstructed. Correlation analysis was performed to identify interrelationships between subdivisions of the cerebello-dentato-rubro-thalamic and thalamo-cerebral connections. The d-DRTT was visualized bilaterally in 28 subjects. According to a normalized quantitative anisotropy and lateralization index evaluation, the left and right d-DRTT were relatively symmetric. Afferent regions were found mainly in the posterior cerebellum, especially the entire lobule VII (crus I, II and VIIb). Efferent fibers mainly are projected to the contralateral frontal cortex, including the motor and nonmotor regions. Correlations between cerebello-thalamic connections and thalamo-cerebral connections were positive, including the lobule VIIa (crus I and II) to the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and lobules VI, VIIb, VIII, and IX, to the MPFC and motor and premotor areas. These results provide DSI-based tratographic evidence showing segregated and parallel cerebellar outputs to cerebral regions. The posterior cerebellum may play an important role in supporting and handling cognitive activities through d-DRTT. Future studies will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of cerebello-cerebral connections.

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Acknowledgments

Data were provided by the Human Connectome Project, MGH-USC Consortium (principal investigators: Bruce R. Rosen, Arthur W. Toga and Van Wedeen; U01MH093765), funded by the NIH Blueprint Initiative for Neuroscience Research grant; the National Institutes of Health grant P41EB015896; and the Instrumentation grants S10RR023043, 1S10RR023401, and 1S10RR019307.

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  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China

    Si-Qi Ou, Peng-Hu Wei, Xiao-Tong Fan, Yi-He Wang, Fei Meng, Mu-Yang Li, Yong-Zhi Shan & Guo-Guang Zhao

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Fig. S1

Major afferent and efferent fibers of the left cerebellar lobules. a The left cerebellar anterior lobe was connected with the spinal cord and brainstem through the ICP. b-c The cortico-ponto-cerebellar afferents from contralateral cerebrum projected to the cerebellar anterior lobe through the MCP. d-e The efferents of d-DRTT from the cerebellar anterior lobe were the minority. f The efferents of ipsilateral CTC tracts passing through the SCP were much more in number than the decussating counterparts. g-h For the left cerebellar hemisphere, the fibers from the posterior lobe projecting to the motor and premotor cerebral cortex through d-DRTT were much more than the fibers from the anterior lobe. ICP, inferior cerebellar peduncle; MCP, middle cerebellar peduncle; d-DRTT, decussating dentato-rubro-thalamic tract; CTC, cerebello-thalamo-cerebral; SCP, superior cerebellar peduncle. (PNG 1337 kb).

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Ou, SQ., Wei, PH., Fan, XT. et al. Delineating the Decussating Dentato-rubro-thalamic Tract and Its Connections in Humans Using Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Techniques. Cerebellum 21, 101–115 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-021-01283-2

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