Functional anatomy and topographical organization of the frontotemporal arcuate fasciculus
Traditionally, the frontotemporal arcuate fasciculus (AF) is viewed as a single entity in anatomo-clinical models. However, it is unclear if distinct cortical origin and termination patterns within this bundle correspond to specific language functions. We use track-weighted dynamic functional connectivity, a hybrid imaging technique, to study the AF structure and function in two distinct datasets of healthy subjects. Here we show that the AF can be subdivided based on dynamic changes in functional connectivity at the streamline endpoints. An unsupervised parcellation algorithm reveals spatially segregated subunits, which are then functionally quantified through meta-analysis. This approach identifies three distinct clusters within the AF - ventral, middle, and dorsal frontotemporal AF - each linked to different frontal and temporal termination regions and likely involved in various language production and comprehension aspects. Our findings may have relevant implications for the understanding of the functional anatomy of the AF as well as its contribution to linguistic and non-linguistic functions.
Authors
- Majd Abdallah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8371-1793)
- Stephanie J. Forkel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0493-0283)
- Antonio Cerasa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8022-4770)
- Michel Thiebaut de Schotten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0329-1814)
- Andreina Giustiniani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4920-3732)
- Victor Nozais (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2529-1839)
- Demetrio Milardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7311-2757)
- Augusto Ielo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9661-9681)
- Gianpaolo Antonio Basile (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5491-7688)
- Alberto Cacciola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9412-4116)
- Angelo Quartarone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1485-6590)
Institutions
- University of Messina (IT)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Université de Bordeaux (FR)
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives (FR)
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (NL)
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IT)
- Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Biology
- Published
- 2024-12-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07274-3
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.43
Funders
- U.S. Department of Defense
- European Commission
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Ministero della Salute
- Université de Bordeaux
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften
- National Institutes of Health
- McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience