Abstract
The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) is a cortical area contributing to a multiplicity of visual, language-related, and cognitive functions. In line with this functional richness, also the organization of the underlying white matter is highly complex and includes several bundles. The few studies tackling the outcome and neurological burdens of surgical operations addressing TPJ document the presence of language disturbances and visual field damages, with the latter hardly recovered in time. This observation advocates for identifying and functionally monitoring the optic radiation (OR) bundles that cross the white matter below the TPJ. In the present study, we adopted a multimodal approach to address the anatomo-functional correlates of the OR’s dorsal loop. In particular, we combined cadavers’ dissection with tractographic and electrophysiological data collected in drug-resistant epileptic patients explored by stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). Cadaver dissection allowed us to appreciate the course and topography of the dorsal loop. More surprisingly, both tractographic and electrophysiological observations converged on a unitary picture highly coherent with the data obtained by neuroanatomical observation. The combination of diverse and multimodal observations allows overcoming the limitations intrinsic to single methodologies, defining a unitary picture which makes it possible to investigate the dorsal loop both presurgically and at the individual patient level, ultimately contributing to limit the postsurgical damages. Notwithstanding, such a combined approach could serve as a model of investigation for future neuroanatomical inquiries tackling white matter fibers anatomy and function through SEEG-derived neurophysiological data.
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Change history
05 May 2022
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-022-02501-1
Abbreviations
- DL:
-
Dorsal loop
- DTI:
-
Diffusion tensor imaging
- ID:
-
Identification
- IFOF:
-
Inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus
- ITC:
-
Inter-trial coherence
- LGN:
-
Lateral geniculate nucleus
- MR:
-
Magnetic resonance
- OR:
-
Optic radiation
- ROI:
-
Region of interest
- SS:
-
Sagittal stratum
- SEEG:
-
Stereoelectroencefalography
- TPJ:
-
Temporo-parietal junction
- VEP:
-
Visual evoked potential
- VOI:
-
Volume of interest
- WM:
-
White matter
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Acknowledgements
We thank the colleagues of the “C.Munari” Group for the suggestions during the study.
Funding
MDV was supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Framework Program through Grant Agreement No. 935539 (Human Brain Project, SGA3) to PA.
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MR conceived and designed the analysis, collected the data, performed the analysis and wrote the paper; KA-O collected the data and critically revised the paper; PA conceived and designed the analysis, performed the analysis and wrote the paper; LB collected the data and performed the analysis; ADB collected the data and critically revised the paper; MDV performed the analysis and wrote the paper; DL collected the data and performed the analysis; VM collected the data, performed the analysis and critically revised the paper; IS conceived and designed the analysis, collected the data, performed the analysis and wrote the paper; SS collected the data and critically revised the paper; FZ collected the data and critically revised the paper.
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Michele Rizzi is a consultant for WISE srl, a manufacturer of implantable leads for neuromodulation and neuromonitoring.
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Animation of the election contacts in the left hemisphere, to render their 3D positions. Each patient’s contact is identified by a dedicated colour (MOV 164027 kb)
Animation of the election contacts in the right hemisphere, to render their 3D positions. Each patient’s contact is identified by a dedicated colour (MOV 212532 kb)
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Michele, R., Ivana, S., Maria, D.V. et al. Tracing in vivo the dorsal loop of the optic radiation: convergent perspectives from tractography and electrophysiology compared to a neuroanatomical ground truth. Brain Struct Funct 227, 1357–1370 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02430-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02430-5