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Dentatorubrothalamic tract in human brain: diffusion tensor tractography study

  • Functional Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Introduction

The dentatorubrothalamic tract (DRTT) originates from the dentate nucleus in the cerebellum and terminates in the contralateral ventrolateral nucleus (VL) of the thalamus after decussating to the contralateral red nucleus. Identification of the DRTT is difficult due to the fact that it is a long, multisynaptic, neural tract crossing to the opposite hemisphere. In the current study, we attempted to identify the DRTT in the human brain using a probabilistic tractography technique of diffusion tensor imaging.

Methods

Diffusion tensor imaging was performed at 1.5-T using a synergy-L sensitivity encoding head coil. DRTTs were obtained by selection of fibers passing through three regions of interest (the dentate nucleus, the superior cerebellar peduncle, and the contralateral red nucleus) from 41 healthy volunteers. Probabilistic mapping was obtained from the highest probabilistic location at 2.3 mm above the anterior commissure–posterior commissure level.

Results

DRTTs of all subjects, which originated from the dentate nucleus, ascended through the junction of the superior cerebellar peduncle and the contralateral red nucleus and then terminated at the VL nucleus of the thalamus. The highest probabilistic location for the DRTT at the thalamus was compatible with the location of the VL nucleus.

Conclusions

We identified the DRTT in the human brain using probabilistic tractography. Our results could be useful in research on movement control.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korean Government (no. KRF-2008-314-E00173)

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Daegu University, Daegu, South Korea

    Hyeok Gyu Kwon

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, Yeungnam College of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea

    Ji Heon Hong

  3. Department of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Cheol Pyo Hong & Dong Hoon Lee

  4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, 317-1, Daemyungdong, Namku, Taegu, 705-717, Republic of Korea

    Sang Ho Ahn & Sung Ho Jang

Authors
  1. Hyeok Gyu Kwon
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  2. Ji Heon Hong
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  3. Cheol Pyo Hong
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  4. Dong Hoon Lee
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  5. Sang Ho Ahn
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  6. Sung Ho Jang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sung Ho Jang.

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Kwon, H.G., Hong, J.H., Hong, C.P. et al. Dentatorubrothalamic tract in human brain: diffusion tensor tractography study. Neuroradiology 53, 787–791 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-011-0878-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-011-0878-7

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