BACKGROUND: Frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a white matter bundle connecting the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the supplementary motor area (SMA) with the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anatomical variability of FAT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total number of fibres and the lateralisation index (LI) were calculated. We attempted to find factors contributing to the diversity of FAT regarding IFG terminations to the pars opercularis (IFG-Op) and to the pars triangularis (IFG-Tr). Magnetic resonance imaging of adult patients with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with total number of 98 hemispheres composed a cohort. V-shaped operculum was the most common (60.5%). RESULTS: Total number of FAT fibres had widespread and unimodal distribution (6 to 1765; median: 160). Left lateralisation was noted in 64.3% of cases and was positively correlated with total number of FAT fibres and the bundle projecting to IFG-Op (p < 0.01). LI correlated with total number of FAT fibres (r = 0.43, p < 0.01). FAT projected predominantly to IFG-Op (88.9%; 88 of 99). Only in 3 (3.1%) cases more fibres terminated in IFG-Tr than in IFG-Op. Total number of FAT fibres and number of fibres terminating at IFG-Op did not correlate with the ratio of fibre numbers: FAT/IFG-Op, FAT/IFG-Tr and IFG-Op/IFG-Tr (p > 0.05). The greater total number of fibres to IFG-Tr was, the higher were the ratios of IFG-Tr/ /FAT (r = 0.57, p < 0.01) and IFG-Tr/IFG-Op (r = 0.32, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Among the IFG, the major termination of FAT is IFG-Op. Whereas the IFG-Tr projection seems to be related to the expansion of the entire FAT bundle regardless of side, domination and handedness. Nevertheless, FAT features a significant anatomical variability which cannot be explained in terms of DTI findings.
BACKGROUND: Frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a white matter bundle connecting the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the supplementary motor area (SMA) with the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anatomical variability of FAT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total number of fibres and the lateralisation index (LI) were calculated. We attempted to find factors contributing to the diversity of FAT regarding IFG terminations to the pars opercularis (IFG-Op) and to the pars triangularis (IFG-Tr). Magnetic resonance imaging of adult patients with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with total number of 98 hemispheres composed a cohort. V-shaped operculum was the most common (60.5%). RESULTS: Total number of FAT fibres had widespread and unimodal distribution (6 to 1765; median: 160). Left lateralisation was noted in 64.3% of cases and was positively correlated with total number of FAT fibres and the bundle projecting to IFG-Op (p < 0.01). LI correlated with total number of FAT fibres (r = 0.43, p < 0.01). FAT projected predominantly to IFG-Op (88.9%; 88 of 99). Only in 3 (3.1%) cases more fibres terminated in IFG-Tr than in IFG-Op. Total number of FAT fibres and number of fibres terminating at IFG-Op did not correlate with the ratio of fibre numbers: FAT/IFG-Op, FAT/IFG-Tr and IFG-Op/IFG-Tr (p > 0.05). The greater total number of fibres to IFG-Tr was, the higher were the ratios of IFG-Tr/ /FAT (r = 0.57, p < 0.01) and IFG-Tr/IFG-Op (r = 0.32, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Among the IFG, the major termination of FAT is IFG-Op. Whereas the IFG-Tr projection seems to be related to the expansion of the entire FAT bundle regardless of side, domination and handedness. Nevertheless, FAT features a significant anatomical variability which cannot be explained in terms of DTI findings.
Authors: Robert G Briggs; Andrew K Conner; Meherzad Rahimi; Goksel Sali; Cordell M Baker; Joshua D Burks; Chad A Glenn; James D Battiste; Michael E Sughrue Journal: Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) Date: 2018-12-01 Impact factor: 2.703
Authors: Benjamin L Chernoff; Max H Sims; Susan O Smith; Webster H Pilcher; Bradford Z Mahon Journal: Cogn Neuropsychol Date: 2019-06-18 Impact factor: 2.468
Authors: Emanuele La Corte; Daniela Eldahaby; Elena Greco; Domenico Aquino; Giacomo Bertolini; Vincenzo Levi; Malte Ottenhausen; Greta Demichelis; Luigi Michele Romito; Francesco Acerbi; Morgan Broggi; Marco Paolo Schiariti; Paolo Ferroli; Maria Grazia Bruzzone; Graziano Serrao Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2021-02-24 Impact factor: 4.003
Authors: Ricardo Marian-Magaña; Andrea C González-González; Luis A Miranda-García; Pedro Villanueva-Solórzano; María E González-González; Sonia Iliana Mejía-Pérez; Santiago Nuñez-Velasco Journal: Surg Neurol Int Date: 2022-08-12