Metabolic thalamocortical correlations during a verbal learning task and their comparison with correlations among regional volumes.

Full Abstract

Methods based on the analysis of metabolic and volumetric interregional correlations have been used in neuroimaging research, yet metabolic and volumetric interregional correlations for identical regions of interest have never been compared in the same group of subjects. Magnetic resonance and [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography brain images were acquired in 59 healthy subject. Correlation matrices for relative glucose metabolic rates during a verbal learning task and for relative gray matter volumes were compiled between the manually traced mediodorsal, centromedian, and pulvinar nuclei of the thalamus and 39 cortical Brodmann's areas. Metabolic correlations between the cortex and these thalamic nuclei followed the known patterns of anatomical connectivity in non-human primates. Intercorrelations of the mediodorsal nucleus were widespread with the prefrontal cortex (9 out of 10 Brodmann's areas in the left hemisphere) and temporal lobe (10 out of 11 Brodmann's areas in the left hemisphere) while the pulvinar correlated only with the parietal and occipital cortical areas. Different correlation patterns were observed for the regional gray matter volumes whereby only the pulvinar yielded extensive cortical intercorrelations, primarily with the occipital, parietal, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal areas in the right hemisphere. Metabolic thalamocortical correlations were much more extensive for the mediodorsal and centromedian nuclei whereas structural correlations were more extensive for the pulvinar. Therefore, metabolic and volumetric correlational methods are sensitive to different aspects of interregional relations in the brain and their comparison in the same group of subjects may render complementary and only partially overlapping connectivity information.

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Author information

Author/s: Mitelman, Serge A (SA); Byne, William (W); Kemether, Eileen M (EM); Newmark, Randall E (RE); Hazlett, Erin A (EA); Haznedar, M Mehmet (MM); Buchsbaum, Monte S (MS);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience PET Laboratory, Box 1505, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA. serge.mitelman(-atsign-)mssm.edu

Grants: MH 40071 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH56489 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH60023 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Brain research (Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Oct; vol 1114 (issue 1) : pp 125-37

Dates: Created 2006/09/25; Completed 2006/11/28; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 16935269, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex - physiology; radionuclide imaging
Female
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 - metabolism
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Middle Aged
Neural Pathways - physiology; radionuclide imaging
Positron-Emission Tomography - methods
Statistics as Topic
Thalamus - physiology; radionuclide imaging
Verbal Learning - physiology

Associated Chemicals: Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (63503-12-8)

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