Network connectivity of motor control in the ageing brain.

Older individuals typically display stronger regional brain activity than younger subjects during motor performance. However, knowledge regarding age-related changes of motor network interactions between brain regions remains scarce. We here investigated the impact of ageing on the interaction of cortical areas during movement selection and initiation using dynamic causal modelling (DCM). We found that age-related psychomotor slowing was accompanied by increases in both regional activity and effective connectivity, especially for 'core' motor coupling targeting primary motor cortex (M1). Interestingly, younger participants within the older group showed strongest connectivity targeting M1, which steadily decreased with advancing age. Conversely, prefrontal influences on the motor system increased with advancing age, and were inversely correlated with reduced parietal influences and core motor coupling. Interestingly, higher net coupling within the prefrontal-premotor-M1 axis predicted faster psychomotor speed in ageing. Hence, as opposed to a uniform age-related decline, our findings are compatible with the idea of different age-related compensatory mechanisms, with an important role of the prefrontal cortex compensating for reduced coupling within the core motor network.

[Satellite systems of the basal ganglia--anatomic position, clinical relevance]. / Satellitensysteme der Basalganglien--Anatomische Einordnung, klinische Relevanz.

The interaction of basal ganglia and other brain regions is more complex regarding anatomic and functional perspectives than previously assumed. Hence, the classical basal ganglia model has to be extended to at least four satellite systems modulating motor-executive, associative and limbic-motivational brain regions: (i) an indirect projection system, (ii) a striato-nigro-striatal loop, (iii) a "hyperdirect" projection system as well as additional projections to the subthalamic nucleus and (iv) multisynaptic connections from the cerebellum exerting influence on the indirect projection system. The investigation of these satellite systems would be invaluable to foster our understanding of basal ganglia circuitries and may yield a better appreciation of largely opaque symptoms like resting tremor in Parkinson's disease; analysis of these anatomic pathways and functional implications may facilitate explanatory model approaches to side effects due to dopaminergic therapy and deep brain stimulation in humans and thereby offer the possibility for new therapeutic approaches in movement disorders.

Cortical thinning in amphetamine-type stimulant users.

Accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis of ecstasy and amphetamine exhibiting neurotoxic properties in human recreational users. The extent and exact location of neuronal degeneration might also be associated with a specific profile of cognitive deterioration described in polydrug users. Voxel-based morphometry and cortical thickness analyses constantly gain attention for answering the question of associated neurological sequelae. We aimed to evaluate the integrity of cortical and subcortical structures in three groups that differ in the consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants. Cortical thickness, cortical grey matter volume and the shape of supposedly vulnerable subcortical structures were compared between 20 experienced users, 42 users with little exposure to these substances and 16 drug- naïve controls. Cortical thinning in experienced users compared to drug-naïve controls and low-exposure users was observed in medio-frontal regions. Effects of ecstasy and amphetamine on cortical volume were similar to those of cortical thickness, with volume reductions primarily in frontal, but also in occipital and parietal regions of low exposure and experienced users. These effects were differently lateralized for the different comparisons. The investigation of subcortical structures revealed non-significant bilateral shape differences in the hippocampi. Our data support the hypothesis that massive recreational amphetamine-type stimulant polydrug use is associated with a thinning of cortical grey matter. Disrupted neuronal integrity in frontal regions does fit well into models of addiction and the cognitive deterioration in amphetamine-type stimulant polydrug users. The exact neurotoxic mechanisms of polydrug ecstasy and amphetamine use, however, remain speculative.

Functional organization of the left inferior precentral sulcus: dissociating the inferior frontal eye field and the inferior frontal junction.

Two eye fields have been described in the human lateral frontal cortex: the frontal eye field (FEF) and the inferior frontal eye field (iFEF). The FEF has been extensively studied and has been found to lie at the ventral part of the superior precentral sulcus. Much less research, however, has focused on the iFEF. Recently, it was suggested that the iFEF is located at the dorsal part of the inferior precentral sulcus. A similar location was proposed for the inferior frontal junction area (IFJ), an area thought to be involved in cognitive control processes. The present study used fMRI to clarify the topographical and functional relationship of the iFEF and the IFJ in the left hemispheres of individual participants. The results show that both the iFEF and the IFJ are indeed located at the dorsal part of the inferior precentral sulcus. Nevertheless, the activations were spatially dissociable in every individual examined. The IFJ was located more towards the depth of the inferior precentral sulcus, close to the junction with the inferior frontal sulcus, whereas the iFEF assumed a more lateral, posterior and superior position. Furthermore, the results provided evidence for a functional double dissociation: the iFEF was activated only in a comparison of saccades vs. button presses, but not in a comparison of incongruent vs. congruent Stroop conditions, while the opposite pattern was found at the IFJ. These results provide evidence for a spatial and functional dissociation of two directly adjacent areas in the left posterior frontal lobe.

Selective visual dimension weighting deficit after left lateral frontopolar lesions.

The left lateral frontopolar (LFP) cortex showed dimension change-related activation in previous event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of visual singleton feature search with non-brain-lesioned participants. Here, we tested the hypothesis that LFP actively supports changes of attention from the old to the new target-defining dimension in singleton feature search. Singleton detection was selectively slowed in this task when the target-defining dimension changed in patients with left LFP lesions, compared with patients with frontomedian lesions as well as with matched controls without brain lesions. We discuss a potential role of LFP in change detection when the optimal allocation of dimension-based attention is not clearly defined by the task.

Connectivity-Based Parcellation of Broca's Area.

It is generally agreed that the cerebral cortex can be segregated into structurally and functionally distinct areas. Anatomical subdivision of Broca's area has been achieved using different microanatomical criteria, such as cytoarchitecture and distribution of neuroreceptors. However, brain function also strongly depends upon anatomical connectivity, which therefore forms a sensible criterion for the functio-anatomical segregation of cortical areas. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers the opportunity to apply this criterion in the individual living subject. Probabilistic tractographic methods provide excellent means to extract the connectivity signatures from diffusion-weighting MR data sets. The correlations among these signatures may then be used by an automatic clustering method to identify cortical regions with mutually distinct and internally coherent connectivity. We made use of this principle to parcellate Broca's area. As it turned out, 3 subregions are discernible that were identified as putative Brodmann area (BA) 44, BA45, and the deep frontal operculum. These results are discussed in the light of previous evidence from other methods in both human and nonhuman primates. We conclude that plausible results can be achieved by the proposed technique, which cannot be obtained by any other method in vivo. For the first time, there is a possibility to investigate the anatomical subdivision of Broca's area noninvasively in the individual living human subject.

Assessment of ventricular reconfiguration after third ventriculostomy: what does shape analysis provide in addition to volumetry?

PURPOSE: From neuroradiologic experience, it is evident that the adaptation of the ventricular system secondary to pathologic processes or surgery is not uniform. To describe changes entirely, one must consider, in particular, information about volume and shape. In this study, we address specifically the information encoded in the change of shape. To exemplify the technique, we used time-series MR imaging examinations of patients with surgically treated chronic or acute occlusive hydrocephalus. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative MR imaging at different time-steps was performed in 2 patients with occlusive hydrocephalus with a different time course of ventricular enlargement. The third and lateral ventricles were segmented with an automated classification scheme. Ventricular surfaces were binarized, mapped to a spheric coordinate system, and modeled by harmonic-basis functions. This approach allows simplification of the complex shape by stepwise filtering of the details that form the surface. The ventricles can be directly compared on the level of the simplified shape. RESULTS: Although the relative volumetric change was comparable between patients, analysis of shape revealed notable regional differences in the pattern of adaptation. Comparing subacute and chronic hydrocephalus, the analysis reflected fundamental differences in the pattern of ventricular enlargement. CONCLUSION: In addition to the mere volumetric description, this approach identifies regions that re-adjust differently to the altered pressure. The pattern of re-adaptation depends on the time course and history of the hydrocephalus. Furthermore, the different patterns of ventricular adaptation in patients with chronic or subacute hydrocephalus suggest a contiguity with properties of the surrounding parenchymal tissue.

The first evaluation of brain shift during functional neurosurgery by deformation field analysis.

Stereotactic surgery is based on a high degree of accuracy in defining and localising intracranial targets and placing surgical tools. Brain shift can influence its accuracy significantly. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus can markedly change the quality of life of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, but the outcome depends on the quality of electrode placement. A patient is reported in whom the placement of the second electrode was not successful. Deformation field analysis of pre- and postoperative three dimensional magnetic resonance images showed an intraoperative brain movement of 2 mm in the region of the subthalamic nucleus (the target point). Electrode repositioning resulted in efficient stimulation effects. This case report shows the need to reduce risk factors for intraoperative brain movement and demonstrates the ability of deformation field analysis to quantify this complication.

[Mrt-based morphometry. A current assessment]. / MRT-basierte Morphometrie Eine Bestandsaufnahme.

Morphometry offers new approaches for in vivo characterization of many neurologic and psychiatric pathologies. A survey of recent publications only hints at the attractiveness of magnetic resonance-based morphometry: published findings are heterogeneous, partly contradictory, and not always plausible in terms of known neuropathologic correlates. Hence, the sensitivity of the applied methods should be questioned. Three parameters affect the variance in morphometric findings: (1) knowledge about normal morphologic variability, (2) confounding physiologic parameters, and (3) methodologic misuse. Sound knowledge about the morphologic variability of the normal brain is vital for the assessment of volumetric findings. Large morphologic variability may also interfere with the precision of morphometric methods. The multitude of possible confounding physiologic parameters raises the necessity of precise subject control. Magnetic resonance scanning artefacts require rigid protocols, and application of the rather complex and sensitive methods demands profound insight into the techniques.