title: Extensive Direct Subcortical Cerebellum-Basal Ganglia Connections in Human Brain as Revealed by Constrained Spherical Deconvolution Tractography.
abstract: The connections between the cerebellum and basal ganglia were assumed to occur at the level of neocortex. However evidences from animal data have challenged this old perspective showing extensive subcortical pathways linking the cerebellum with the basal ganglia. Here we tested the hypothesis if these connections also exist between the cerebellum and basal ganglia in the human brain by using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and tractography. Fifteen healthy subjects were analyzed by using constrained spherical deconvolution technique obtained with a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We found extensive connections running between the subthalamic nucleus and cerebellar cortex and, as novel result, we demonstrated a direct route linking the dentate nucleus to the internal globus pallidus as well as to the substantia nigra. These findings may open a new scenario on the interpretation of basal ganglia disorders.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", MessinaItaly; Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of MessinaMessina, Italy.
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anastasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", MessinaItaly; Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of MessinaMessina, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Enricomaria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mormina
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calamuneri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruschetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cutroneo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trimarchi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", MessinaItaly; Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, University of MessinaMessina, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartarone
keywords: CSD; basal ganglia; cerebellum; connectivity; tractography