TY - JOUR

T1 - Using in vivo probabilistic tractography to reveal two segregated dorsal 'language-cognitive' pathways in the human brain

AU - Cloutman, Lauren

AU - Binney, Richard J

AU - Morris, David M

AU - Parker, Geoffrey J M

AU - Lambon Ralph, Matthew

N1 - Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/11

Y1 - 2013/11

N2 - Primate studies have recently identified the dorsal stream as constituting multiple dissociable pathways associated with a range of specialized cognitive functions. To elucidate the nature and number of dorsal pathways in the human brain, the current study utilized in vivo probabilistic tractography to map the structural connectivity associated with subdivisions of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). The left SMG is a prominent region within the dorsal stream, which has recently been parcellated into five structurally-distinct regions which possess a dorsal-ventral (and rostral-caudal) organisation, postulated to reflect areas of functional specialisation. The connectivity patterns reveal a dissociation of the arcuate fasciculus into at least two segregated pathways connecting frontal-parietal-temporal regions. Specifically, the connectivity of the inferior SMG, implicated as an acoustic-motor speech interface, is carried by an inner/ventro-dorsal arc of fibres, whilst the pathways of the posterior superior SMG, implicated in object use and cognitive control, forms a parallel outer/dorso-dorsal crescent.

AB - Primate studies have recently identified the dorsal stream as constituting multiple dissociable pathways associated with a range of specialized cognitive functions. To elucidate the nature and number of dorsal pathways in the human brain, the current study utilized in vivo probabilistic tractography to map the structural connectivity associated with subdivisions of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). The left SMG is a prominent region within the dorsal stream, which has recently been parcellated into five structurally-distinct regions which possess a dorsal-ventral (and rostral-caudal) organisation, postulated to reflect areas of functional specialisation. The connectivity patterns reveal a dissociation of the arcuate fasciculus into at least two segregated pathways connecting frontal-parietal-temporal regions. Specifically, the connectivity of the inferior SMG, implicated as an acoustic-motor speech interface, is carried by an inner/ventro-dorsal arc of fibres, whilst the pathways of the posterior superior SMG, implicated in object use and cognitive control, forms a parallel outer/dorso-dorsal crescent.

KW - Arcuate fasciculus

KW - Connectivity

KW - Dual stream model

KW - Functional specialization

KW - Language production

KW - Performance feedback

KW - Repetition

KW - Sensory-motor integration

KW - Supramarginal gyrus

KW - Tool use

U2 - 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.06.005

DO - 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.06.005

M3 - Article

C2 - 23937853

VL - 127

SP - 230

EP - 240

JO - Brain and Language

JF - Brain and Language

SN - 0093-934X

IS - 2

ER -