MRI atlas of the human hypothalamus

Abstract

Gaining new insights into the anatomy of the human hypothalamus is crucial for the development of new treatment strategies involving functional stereotactic neurosurgery. Here, using anatomical comparisons between histology and magnetic resonance images of the human hypothalamus in the coronal plane, we show that discrete gray and white hypothalamic structures are consistently identifiable by MRI. Macroscopic and microscopic images were used to precisely annotate the MRI sequences realized in the coronal plane in twenty healthy volunteers. MRI was performed on a 1.5T scanner, using a protocol including T1-weighted 3D fast field echo, T1-weighted inversionrecovery, turbo spin echo and T2-weighted 2D fast field echo imaging. For each gray matter structure as well as for white matter bundles, the different MRI sequences were analyzed in comparison to each other. The anterior commissure and the fornix were often identifiable, while the mammillothalamic tract was more difficult to spot. Qualitative analyses showed that MRI could also highlight finer structures such as the paraventricular nucleus, the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and the infundibular (arcuate) nucleus, brain nuclei that play key roles in the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. The posterior hypothalamic area, a target for deep brain stimulation in the treatment of cluster headaches, was readily identified, as was the lateral hypothalamic area, which similar to the aforementioned hypothalamic nuclei, could be a putative target for deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obesity. Finally, each of the identified structures was mapped to Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space. Please find enclosed the revised version of our manuscript "MRI atlas of the human hypothalamus" which we have modified according to the minor comment made by the reviewer#3.We appreciated the careful and incisive evaluation of our data made by the reviewers throughout the reviewing process. We hope that the manuscript is now in suitable form for publication in Neuroimage.  New insights into the anatomy of the human hypothalamus  Specific 1.5T MRI sequences approach histological resolution within the hypothalamus  White matter bundles within the hypothalamus can be identified using 1.5T MRI  Hypothalamic gray structures can be identified using 1.5T MRI *4. HighlightsWe have revised our manuscript to address the minor point raised by reviewer 3.In the "Data analysis" paragraph of the materials and methods section it now reads: "Structures were identified visually based on our knowledge of specific landmarks obtained from anatomical-histological cross sections and with reference to previously published atlases (Swaab et al., 1993;Koutcherov et al., 2000Koutcherov et al., , 2004Koutcherov et al., 2007;Mai et al., 2008); the landmarks used, such as the optic tract, the floor of the diencephalon, the third ventricle, and the fornix, were readily and reliably identifiable in MR scans." AbstractGaining new insights into the anatomy of the hu...

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