A Connectomic Atlas of the Human Cerebrum—Chapter 1: Introduction, Methods, and Significance

Abstract

BACKGROUND As knowledge of the brain has increased, clinicians have learned that the cerebrum is composed of complex networks that interact to execute key functions. While neurosurgeons can typically predict and preserve primary cortical function through the primary visual and motor cortices, preservation of higher cognitive functions that are less well localized in regions previously deemed “silent” has proven more difficult. This suggests these silent cortical regions are more anatomically complex and redundant than our previous methods of inquiry can explain, and that progress in cerebral surgery will be made with an improved understanding of brain connectomics. Newly published parcellated cortex maps provide one avenue to study such connectomics in greater detail, and they provide a superior framework and nomenclature for studying cerebral function and anatomy. OBJECTIVE To describe the structural and functional aspects of the 180 distinct areas that comprise the human cortex model previously published under the Human Connectome Project (HCP). METHODS We divided the cerebrum into 8 macroregions: lateral frontal, motor/premotor, medial frontal, insular, temporal, lateral parietal, medial parietal, and occipital. These regions were further subdivided into their relevant parcellations based on the HCP cortical scheme. Connectome Workbench was used to localize parcellations anatomically and to demonstrate their functional connectivity. DSI studio was used to assess the structural connectivity for each parcellation. RESULTS The anatomy, functional connectivity, and structural connectivity of all 180 cortical parcellations identified in the HCP are compiled into a single atlas. Within each section of the atlas, we integrate this information, along with what is known about parcellation function to summarize the implications of these data on network connectivity. CONCLUSION This multipart supplement aims to build on the work of the HCP. We present this information in the hope that the complexity of cerebral connectomics will be conveyed in a more manageable format that will allow neurosurgeons and neuroscientists to accurately communicate and formulate hypotheses regarding cerebral anatomy and connectivity. We believe access to this information may provide a foundation for improving surgical outcomes by preserving lesser-known networks.

The Frontal Aslant Tract and Supplementary Motor Area Syndrome: Moving towards a Connectomic Initiation Axis

“…The ALE coordinate data were displayed on an MNI-normalized template brain using the Multi-Image Analysis GUI (Mango) 4.0.1 ( , accessed on 10 May 2020). Using ROIs constructed using the Connectome Workbench command line interface from our previous work, we assessed parcellations for inclusion in each network if the parcellation and ALE overlapped [ 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Neural Correlates of Positive and Negative Valence System Dysfunction in Adolescents Revealed by Data-Driven Parcellation and Resting-State Network Modeling

“…Finally, although we used the best whole-brain parcellation currently available, there has been limited validation of the CAB-NP due to its recent release. However, all cortical boundaries were taken directly from the multimodal surface parcellation meticulously derived by the HCP (9), which has been found to outperform other contemporary atlases and is widely considered a gold standard of human brain segmentation (64,65). Subcortical parcels in the CAB-NP were then determined using a consensus partitioning approach based on data from over 300 HCP subjects divided into independent discovery and validation sets to ensure reproducibility and reliability (10).…”

Identification of a distinct association fiber tract “IPS-FG” to connect the intraparietal sulcus areas and fusiform gyrus by white matter dissection and tractography

“…The HCP MMP1.0 19 was originally created in the CIFTI format, which is a surface-based coordinate system (“greyordinates”), therefore it is difficult to perform tractography analysis using ROIs created in the CIFTI format 50 . To convert all 180 areas (HCP MMP1.0) from a surface-based coordinate system to volumetric coordinates, we used the HCP MMP1.0 atlas built in DSI Studio.…”