Abstract
The immature human brain, when damaged, is able to reorganise functionally. We performed functional MRI during eight different movements in a patient found incidentally to have an extensive, frontal, congenital arachnoid cyst, looking at which neural substrates contribute to motor control. Significant changes from the normal pattern of activation were seen in cortical and cerebellar areas which could not be accounted for by the space-occupying effect of the cyst alone. These findings in this asymptomatic patient with a congenital anomaly demonstrate an alternative organisation of the central motor system, with a preservation of neurological function.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Starkman SP, Brown TC, Linell EA (1958) Cerebral arachnoid cysts. J Neuropath Exp Neurol 17: 484–500
Yasargil MG (1996) Microneurosurgery, Vol. IVB. Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 234–236
Golaz J, Bouras C (1993) Frontal arachnoid cyst. A case of bilateral frontal arachnoid cyst without clinical signs. Clin Neuropathol 12: 73–78
Rengachary SS, Watanabe I (1981) Ultrastructure and pathogenesis of intracranial arachnoid cysts. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 40: 61–83
Alkadhi H, Crelier GR, Hotz Boendermaker S, Golay X, Hepp-Reymond MC, Kollias SS (2002) Reproducibility of primary motor cortex somatotopy under controlled conditions. AJNR 23: 1524–1532
Kollias SS, Alkadhi H, Jaermann T, Crelier G, Hepp-Reymond MC (2001) Identification of multiple nonprimary motor cortical areas with simple movements. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 36:185–195
Rao SM, Binder JR, Bandettini PA, et al (1993) Functional magnetic resonance imaging of complex human movements. Neurology 43: 2311–2318
Watson JDG, Myers R, Frackowiak RSJ, et al (1993) Area V5 of the human brain: evidence from a combined study using positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Cereb Cortex 3: 79–94
Nitschke MF, Kleinschmidt A, Wessel K, Frahm J (1996) Somatotopic motor representation in the human anterior cerebellum. A high-resolution functional MR study. Brain 119: 1023–1029
Galea MP, Darian-Smith I (1994) Multiple corticospinal neuron populations in the macaque monkey are specified by their unique cortical origins, spinal terminations, and connections. Cereb Cortex 4: 166–194
Hoover JE, Strick PL (1999) The organization of cerebellar and basal ganglia outputs to primary motor cortex as revealed by retrograde transneuronal transport of herpes simplex virus type 1. J Neurosci 19: 1446–1463
Sakata H, Taira M (1994) Parietal control of hand action. Curr Opin Neurobiol 4: 847–856
Alkadhi H, Kollias SS, Crelier G, Golay X, Hepp-Reymond MC, Valavanis A (2000) Plasticity of the human motor cortex in patients with arteriovenous malformations. AJNR 21: 1423–1433
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Swiss National Foundation NRP 38 # 4038–052837/1 and by the NCCR on Neural Plasticity and Repair.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alkadhi, H., Crelier, G.R., Imhof, H.G. et al. Somatomotor functional MRI in a large congenital arachnoid cyst. Neuroradiology 45, 153–156 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-002-0929-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-002-0929-1