title: The nucleus accumbens beyond the anterior commissure: implications for psychosurgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The nucleus accumbens (Acc) is a basal forebrain structure integrated in the dopaminergic cerebral rewarding circuits and implicated in some neuropsychiatric disorders. It has become a target for deep brain stimulation for some of these disorders when refractory to medical treatment. However, it is controversial as to which target is the best and similar results have been achieved with the stimulation of neighboring structures such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Previous studies have established the stereotactic anatomy of the human Acc, but some difficulties remain concerning its precise posterior limit, which is assumed to be at the level of the anterior commissure (AC). It is our purpose to clarify the anatomy of this zone, given the importance of its exact identification in psychosurgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 16 Acc were collected by autopsy, fixed, dissected, embedded and cut in coronal 5-µm slices. The slices were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, marked with anti-D1 and anti-D2 antibodies and analyzed under a microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The human Acc has the same cellular structure as the dorsal striatum, except in its posterior subcommissural part where voluminous neurons prevail, similar to and contiguous with the BNST.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Acc is longer than previously described, with a sub- and postcommissural extension behind the AC, continuous with the BNST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucas-Neto
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mourato
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves-Ferreira
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D011612:Psychosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine