The anatomical location of the corticobulbar tract at the corona radiata in the human brain: diffusion tensor tractography study.

Many studies have reported on the anatomical location of the corticobulbar tract (CBT). However, no study has reported on the anatomical location of the corona radiata (CR). Using diffusion tensor tractography, we investigated the anatomical location of the CBT at the CR in normal subjects. Forty healthy normal subjects were enrolled in this study. Diffusion tensor images were acquired at 1.5-T, and the CBT was reconstructed using FMRIB software. The highest probabilistic location of the CBT was defined as the location on an axial slice in the upper and lower CRs. The CBT was located at an average of 49.13% and 49.91% in the antero-posterior direction between the most anterior point and the most posterior point of the lateral ventricle at the upper and lower CR, respectively. Regarding medio-lateral direction, between the midline and the most lateral point of the brain, the CBT was located at an average of 36.58% and 32.73% at the upper and lower CR, respectively. According to our findings, the CBT was located almost halfway between the most anterior point and the most posterior point of the lateral ventricle at the CR, and almost one third between the midline and the most lateral point of the brain at the CR.