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Medicina
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Advantages of Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Brain
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Advantages of Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Brain

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 6490

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alberto Cacciola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: brain networks; basal ganglia; cerebellum; connectomics; neuroanatomy; neuroimaging; tractography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The brain is one of the most fascinating complex systems known to humans, and its network representations are named connectomes, which are indispensable tools to investigate such complexity. The connectomes can emerge at different scales, from the microscopic (neurons and synapses) to the macroscopic (whole brain areas). The features at different scales are captured by means of various imaging technologies, which in turn generate diverse types of signals from which to extract the connectomes.

Before imaging techniques matured, our knowledge of brain connectivity came mostly from animal studies and the stochastic injuries incurred by human beings. The last decade has been characterized by increasing advances in brain imaging, with the development of precise techniques which allow the study of the distribution of neurochemical receptors in the brain, the thickness and surface of the cerebral cortex, the white matter pathways, and, last but not least, the functional activity of the brain.

Indeed, diffusion MRI and tractography now play a central role in the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of structural brain connectivity, whereas functional MRI and high-density EEG have revolutionized the study of brain functions, enabling the exploration of the dynamic functional brain connectivity with unbelievable spatial and temporal resolution.

This Special Issue is therefore committed to the description and study of the human brain, from its general morphological architecture to its connectional functional anatomy demonstrated by such in vivo and non-invasive techniques. Through this Special Issue, we aim to present a detailed exploration of the peculiar organization of the human brain as emerging from the anatomical and functional evolutions of the last several decades.

Original research, reviews, case reports, and perspectives focusing on the advantages of structural and functional imaging to clarify the actual and forthcoming advancements for studying the human brain in health and disease at an unprecedented level of accuracy are welcomed.

Dr. Alberto Cacciola
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • brain connectivity
  • brain networks
  • connectome
  • diffusion MRI
  • EEG
  • functional MRI
  • neuroanatomy, neuroimaging, tractography, white matter

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1999 KiB  
Article
Structural Connectivity-Based Parcellation of the Dopaminergic Midbrain in Healthy Subjects and Schizophrenic Patients
by Gianpaolo Antonio Basile, Alessia Bramanti, Salvatore Bertino, Giuseppina Cutroneo, Antonio Bruno, Adriana Tisano, Giuseppe Paladina, Demetrio Milardi and Giuseppe Anastasi
Medicina 2020, 56(12), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56120686 - 10 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1407
Abstract
Background and objectives: Functional deregulation of dopaminergic midbrain regions is a core feature of schizophrenia pathophysiology. Anatomical research on primates suggests that these regions may be subdivided into distinct, topographically organized functional territories according to their connectivity to the striatum. The aim [...] Read more.
Background and objectives: Functional deregulation of dopaminergic midbrain regions is a core feature of schizophrenia pathophysiology. Anatomical research on primates suggests that these regions may be subdivided into distinct, topographically organized functional territories according to their connectivity to the striatum. The aim of the present work was the reconstruction of dopaminergic midbrain subregions in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients and the evaluation of their structural connectivity profiles. Materials and Methods: A hypothesis-driven connectivity-based parcellation derived from diffusion tractography was applied on 24 healthy subjects and 30 schizophrenic patients to identify distinct territories within the human dopaminergic midbrain in vivo and non-invasively. Results: We identified a tripartite subdivision of dopaminergic midbrain, including limbic, prefrontal and sensorimotor territories. No significant differences in structural features or connectivity were found between subjects and patients. Conclusions: The parcellation scheme proposed herein may help to achieve detailed characterization of structural and functional anomalies of the dopaminergic midbrain in schizophrenic patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advantages of Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Brain)
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8 pages, 280 KiB  
Article
Structural Analysis of Brain Hub Region Volume and Cortical Thickness in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
by Nauris Zdanovskis, Ardis Platkājis, Andrejs Kostiks and Guntis Karelis
Medicina 2020, 56(10), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56100497 - 24 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1996
Abstract
Background and Objectives: A complex network of axonal pathways interlinks the human brain cortex. Brain networks are not distributed evenly, and brain regions making more connections with other parts are defined as brain hubs. Our objective was to analyze brain hub region [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: A complex network of axonal pathways interlinks the human brain cortex. Brain networks are not distributed evenly, and brain regions making more connections with other parts are defined as brain hubs. Our objective was to analyze brain hub region volume and cortical thickness and determine the association with cognitive assessment scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 11 patients (5 mild cognitive impairment; 6 dementia). All patients underwent neurological examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test scores were recorded. Scans with a 3T MRI scanner were done, and cortical thickness and volumetric data were acquired using Freesurfer 7.1.0 software. Results: By analyzing differences between the MCI and dementia groups, MCI patients had higher hippocampal volumes (p < 0.05) and left entorhinal cortex thickness (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between MoCA test scores and left hippocampus volume (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), right hippocampus volume (r = 0.785, p < 0.01), right precuneus cortical thickness (r = 0.648, p < 0.05), left entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), and right entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.612, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In our study, hippocampal volume and entorhinal cortex showed significant differences in the MCI and dementia patient groups. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between MoCA scores, hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, and right precuneus. Although other brain hub regions did not show statistically significant differences, there should be additional research to evaluate the brain hub region association with MCI and dementia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advantages of Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Brain)
17 pages, 3803 KiB  
Article
Anatomical Characterization of the Human Structural Connectivity between the Pedunculopontine Nucleus and Globus Pallidus via Multi-Shell Multi-Tissue Tractography
by Salvatore Bertino, Gianpaolo Antonio Basile, Giuseppe Anastasi, Alessia Bramanti, Bartolo Fonti, Filippo Cavallaro, Daniele Bruschetta, Demetrio Milardi and Alberto Cacciola
Medicina 2020, 56(9), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56090452 - 07 Sep 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2765
Abstract
Background and objectives: The internal (GPi) and external segments (GPe) of the globus pallidus represent key nodes in the basal ganglia system. Connections to and from pallidal segments are topographically organized, delineating limbic, associative and sensorimotor territories. The topography of pallidal afferent and [...] Read more.
Background and objectives: The internal (GPi) and external segments (GPe) of the globus pallidus represent key nodes in the basal ganglia system. Connections to and from pallidal segments are topographically organized, delineating limbic, associative and sensorimotor territories. The topography of pallidal afferent and efferent connections with brainstem structures has been poorly investigated. In this study we sought to characterize in-vivo connections between the globus pallidus and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) via diffusion tractography. Materials and Methods: We employed structural and diffusion data of 100 subjects from the Human Connectome Project repository in order to reconstruct the connections between the PPN and the globus pallidus, employing higher order tractography techniques. We assessed streamline count of the reconstructed bundles and investigated spatial relations between pallidal voxels connected to the PPN and pallidal limbic, associative and sensorimotor functional territories. Results: We successfully reconstructed pallidotegmental tracts for the GPi and GPe in all subjects. The number of streamlines connecting the PPN with the GPi was greater than the number of those joining it with the GPe. PPN maps within pallidal segments exhibited a distinctive spatial organization, being localized in the ventromedial portion of the GPi and in the ventral-anterior portion in the GPe. Regarding their spatial relations with tractography-derived maps of pallidal functional territories, the highest value of percentage overlap was noticed between PPN maps and the associative territory. Conclusions: We successfully reconstructed the anatomical course of the pallidotegmental pathways and comprehensively characterized their topographical arrangement within both pallidal segments. PPM maps were localized in the ventromedial aspect of the GPi, while they occupied the anterior pole and the most ventral portion of the GPe. A better understanding of the spatial and topographical arrangement of the pallidotegmental pathways may have pathophysiological and therapeutic implications in movement disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advantages of Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Brain)
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