Mapping of the internal structure of human habenula with ex vivo MRI at 7T.

The habenula is a small but important nucleus located next to the third ventricle in front of the pineal body. It helps to control the human reward system and is considered to play a key role in emotion, showing increased activation in major depressive disorders. Its dysfunction may underlie several neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is now possible to visualize the habenula and its anatomical subdivisions-medial habenula (MHB) and lateral habenula (LHB)-using MR techniques. The aim of this study was to further differentiate substructures within human lateral habenula (LHB) using ex vivo ultra-high field MR structural imaging, distinguishing between a medial part (m-LHB) and a lateral part (l-LHB). High resolution T1w images with 0.3-mm isotropic resolution and T2(*)w images with 60-micrometer isotropic resolution were acquired on a 7T MR scanner and quantitative maps of T1 and T2(*) were calculated. Cluster analysis of image intensity was performed using the Fuzzy and Noise Tolerant Adaptive Segmentation Method (FANTASM) tool. Ultra-high resolution structural MRI of ex vivo brain tissue at 7T provided sufficient SNR and contrast to discriminate the medial and lateral habenular nuclei. Heterogeneity was observed in the lateral habenula (LHB) nuclei, with clear distinctions between lateral and medial parts (m-LHB, l-LHB) and with the neighboring medial habenula (MHB). Clustering analysis based on the T1 and T2(*) maps strongly showed 4-6 clusters as subcomponents of lateral and medial habenula.

THE AFFERENT PROJECTIONS OF THE HABENULAR NUCLEI IN THE RAT——A WGA-HRP STUDY / 解剖学报

WGA-HRP was iontophoretically delivered into the habenular nuclei in 40 rats to observe the distribution of the retrograde labeled cells; and into the entopeduncular nucleus(EPN), lateral preoptic area(LPO), medial preoptic area(MPO), nucleus septalis fimbriatis(SF), nucleus triangularis septi(TS), nucleus tractus diagonalis (Broca)(DBN)and lateral hypothalamic area(LHA) in 12 rats to observe the distribution of the orthograde labeled fibers in the habenular nuclei. It was found that the afferents of various parts of the habenular nuclei were different.The lateral habenular nucleus mainly recieves the afferents from the EPN, LPO and LHA, and the medial habenular nucleus from the SF, TS and LHA. Furthermore, the lateral habenular nucleus can be divided into medial and lateral parts, the medial habenular nucleus can be divided into medial and lateral parts as well, their afferent connections are also different.

THE EFFERENT PROJECTIONS OF THE HABENULAR NUCLEI IN THE RAT---A WGA-HRP STUDY / 解剖学报

WGA-HRP was iontophoretically delivered into various parts of the habenular nuclei (the lateral segment of the lateral habenular nucleus LHb-L, the medial segment of the lateral habenular nucleus LHb-M, and the medial habenular nucleus MHb) in 40 rats to study the route and distribution of the anterograde labeled fibers and terminals in the brain. The efferent projections of the habenular nuclei follow three routes, the rostral, contralateral and caudal pathways. Along the rostral pathway fibers leave the lateral habenular nucleus, follow the stria medullaris thalami rostrally, and distribute to the thalamic dorsomedial nucleus, paratenial nucleus and lateral preoptic area. Fibers from the contralateral pathway distribute to the opposite lateral habenular nucleus by way of the commissura habenularum Fibers in the caudal pathway originate mainly from the MHb and LHb-M, and distribute to the interpeduncular nucleus with a dorsoventral topographic localization. In addition some of the caudal efferent fibers run caudally and terminate in the raphe nuclei and reticular formation etc.