title: Red nucleus connectivity as revealed by constrained spherical deconvolution tractography.
abstract: Previous Diffusion Tensor Imaging studies have demonstrated that the human red nucleus is widely interconnected with sensory-motor and prefrontal cortices. In this study, we assessed red nucleus connectivity by using a multi-tensor model called non- negative Constrained Spherical Deconvolution (CSD), which is able to resolve more than one fiber orientation per voxel. Connections of the red nuclei of fifteen volunteers were studied at 3T using CSD axonal tracking. We found significant connectivity between RN and the following cortical and subcortical areas: cerebellar cortex, thalamus, paracentral lobule, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and dentate nucleus. We confirmed that red nucleus is tightly linked with the cerebral cortex and has dense subcortical connections with thalamus and cerebellar cortex. These findings may be useful in a clinical context considering that RN is involved in motor control and it is known to have potential to compensate for injury of the corticospinal tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy; IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: alberto.cacciola0@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cutroneo
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irrera
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciolli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anastasi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco Salvatore
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Calabrò
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy; IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartarone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012012:Red Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
keywords: CSD; Connectivity; Red nucleus; Tractography