Researchers of the Human Brain Project (HBP) have mapped four new areas of the human anterior prefrontal cortex that plays a major role in cognitive functions. Two of the newly identified areas are relatively larger in females than in males.
From: Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich
and Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf
Probability maps of the
four newly identified areas SFS1, SFS2, MFG1 and MFG2.
August 24, 2022 -- The human dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex is involved in cognitive control including attention selection, working
memory, decision making and planning of actions. Changes in this brain region
are suspected to play a role in schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
depression and bipolar disorder, making it an important research target.
Researchers University Düsseldorf now provide detailed, three-dimensional maps
of four new areas identity of the borders between brain areas; the researchers
statistically analysed the distribution of cells (the cytoarchitecture) in 10
post mortem human brains. After reconstructing the mapped areas in 3D, the
researchers superimposed the maps of the 10 different brains and generated
probability maps that reflect how much the localization and size of each area
varies among individuals.
High inter-subject
variability has been a major challenge for prior attempts to map this brain
region leading to considerable discrepancies in pre-existing maps and
inconclusive information making it very difficult to understand the specific
involvement of individual brain areas in the different cognitive functions. The
new probabilistic maps account for the variability between individuals and can
be directly superimposed with datasets from functional studies in order to
directly correlate structure and function of the areas.
When comparing the
brains of female and male tissue donors, the researchers found that the
relative volumes of two of the newly identified areas were significantly larger
in female than in male brains. This finding may be related to sex differences
in cognitive function and behaviour as well as in the prevalence and symptoms
of associated brain diseases.
The maps are being integrated into the Julich Brain Atlas that is openly accessible via
EBRAINS.
Text: Lisa
Vincenz-Donnelly
Original publication:
Bruno A, Bludau S, Mohlberg H and Amunts K (2022) Cytoarchitecture,
intersubject variability, and 3D mapping of four new areas of the human
anterior prefrontal cortex. Front. Neuroanat. 16:915877. doi:
10.3389/fnana.2022.915877
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