Structural connectivity of Broca's area and medial frontal cortex - PubMed (original) (raw)

Structural connectivity of Broca's area and medial frontal cortex

Anastasia Ford et al. Neuroimage. 2010.

Abstract

Despite over 140 years of research on Broca's area, the connections of this region to medial frontal cortex remain unclear. The current study investigates this structural connectivity using diffusion-weighted MRI tractography in living humans. Our results show connections between Broca's area and Brodmann's areas (BA) 9, 8, and 6 (both supplementary motor area (SMA) in caudal BA 6, and Pre-SMA in rostral BA 6). Trajectories follow an anterior-to-posterior gradient, wherein the most anterior portions of Broca's area connect to BA 9 and 8 while posterior Broca's area connects to Pre-SMA and SMA. This anterior-posterior connectivity gradient is also present when connectivity-based parcellation of Broca's area is performed. Previous studies of language organization suggest involvement of anterior Broca's area in semantics and posterior Broca's area in syntax/phonology. Given corresponding patterns of functional and structural organization of Broca's area, it seems well warranted to investigate carefully how anterior vs. posterior medial frontal cortex differentially affect semantics, syntax and phonology.

Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Connectivity-based parcellation of Broca’s area. Light green: BA 9; dark green: BA 8; blue: Pre-SMA; orange: SMA.

Figure 2

Figure 2

White matter tracts inferred by probabilistic tractography connecting Broca’s area (BA 44/45) and medial frontal cortex. Yellow: BA 9; dark green: BA 8; blue: Pre-SMA; orange: SMA. Images obtained from participants indicated by the same number in Table 1.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Amunts K, Weiss PH, Mohlberg H, Pieperhoff P, Gurd J, Shah JN, et al. Analysis of the neural mechanisms underlying verbal fluency in cytoarchitectonically defined stereotaxic space – The role of Brodmann’s areas 44 and 45. Neuroimage. 2004;22:42–56. - PubMed
    1. Amunts K, Zilles K. Advances in cytoarchitectonic mapping of the human cerebral cortex. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2001;11(2):151–69. vii. - PubMed
    1. Amunts K, Schleicher A, Burgel U, Mohlberg H, Uylings HBM, Zilles K. Broca’s region revisited: cytoarchitecture and intersubject variability. Journal of Comparative Neurology. 1999;412:319–341. - PubMed
    1. Anwander A, Tittgemeyer M, von Cramon DY, Friederici AD, Knosche TR. Connectivity-based parcellation of Broca’s area. Cereb Cortex. 2007;17(4):816–825. - PubMed
    1. Barris RW, Schuman HR. Bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus lesions: syndrome of the anterior cingulate gyri. Neurology. 1953;3:44–52. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources