title: Basal ganglia network by constrained spherical deconvolution: a possible cortico-pallidal pathway?
abstract: In the recent past, basal ganglia circuitry was simplified as represented by the direct and indirect pathways and by hyperdirect pathways. Based on data from animal studies, we hypothesized a fourth pathway, the cortico-pallidal, pathway, that complements the hyperdirect pathway to the subthalamus. Ten normal brains were analyzed by using the high angular resolution diffusion imaging-constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD)-based technique. The study was performed with a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner (Achieva, Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands); by using a 32-channel SENSE head coil. We showed that CSD is a powerful technique that allows a fine evaluation of both the long and small tracts between cortex and basal ganglia, including direct, indirect, and hyperdirect pathways. In addition, a pathway directly connecting the cortex to the globus pallidus was seen. Our results confirm that the CSD tractography is a valuable technique allowing a reliable reconstruction of small- and long-fiber pathways in brain regions with multiple fiber orientations, such as basal ganglia. This could open a future scenario in which CSD could be used to focally target with deep brain stimulation (DBS) the small bundles within the basal ganglia loops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy; IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milardi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaccarino
authors.forename: Enricomaria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mormina
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milazzo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Finocchio
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baglieri
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anastasi
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartarone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: CSD; basal ganglia; brain; subthalamic nucleus; tractography