Akkaş A., Çevik O. M., Pamir M. N., Bozkurt B.
European Association of Neurosurgical Societies 2025 Congress, Vienna, Avusturya, 5 - 09 Ekim 2025, cilt.5, sa.1, ss.188, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
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Yayın Türü:
Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
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Cilt numarası:
5
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Doi Numarası:
10.1016/j.bas.2025.105380
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Basıldığı Şehir:
Vienna
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Basıldığı Ülke:
Avusturya
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Sayfa Sayıları:
ss.188
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Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu:
AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
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Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli:
Evet
Özet
The cingular cortex and the cingulum bundle are complex and heterogeneous structures. The cingulum has four main subdivisions:
1.Anterior cingulate gyrus
2.Midcingulate gyrus
3.Posterior cingulate gyrus
4.Retrosplenial cingulate gyrus
Each of these regions has distinct histological, neurochemical, functional, and connectivity characteristics, highlighting the cingulum and cingulate cortex as a structurally and functionally diverse.
The cingulum bundle connects the limbic system, prefrontal cortex, suplemantery motor area (SMA), motor cortex and parietal regions, playing a key role in cognition, memory, spatial awareness, and movement coordination. It also links to the precuneus and superior parietal lobule (SPL). The precuneus is involved in self-reflection, memory, and attention shifts, while the SPL contributes to spatial orientation, movement planning, and attention control.
Despite their importance, the precise connections between the cingulum, precuneus, and SPL are not well understood. Imaging techniques like diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography have provided insights but have limitations in mapping complex fiber pathways.
Methods
Klingler’s white matter dissection technique was performed on five post-mortem human brain specimens, enabling a layer-by-layer exposure of fiber tracts. The cingulum bundle and its connections with the precuneus and superior parietal lobule (SPL) were meticulously dissected, documented using macroscopic imaging, and analyzed in comparison with tractography data from existing literature. Particular emphasis was placed on the posterior segment of the cingulum, which extends toward the parietal cortex, specifically targeting its interactions with the precuneus and SPL.
We also analyzed DTI images to compare findings from in vivo imaging with direct anatomical dissections.
Results
The cingulum bundle is a long association fiber tract linking the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, with short connections to the cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and parieto-occipital cortex.
•It originates from the genu of the corpus callosum, runs along its length, and terminates at the splenium of the corpus callosum, forming multiple cortical connections.
•At the splenium, the cingulum curves downward toward the parahippocampal region, contributing to the Papez circuit.
•The posterior cingulum, which connects the precuneus and SPL, showed a complex fiber organization, supporting its role in cognition and spatial processing.
•White matter connections between the precuneus, SPL, and hippocampus were identified, suggesting a potential role in spatial memory and navigation.
DTI tractography and dissection findings were mostly consistent, but some short association fibers and crossing fiber regions were better identified through dissection.
The presence of passing fibers suggests that some white matter pathways in the cingulum are not directly related to the cingulate cortex, pointing to a more complex network of brain connections.
Conclusions
This study provides a detailed anatomical description of the cingulum and its connections, combining DTI and white matter dissection to improve our understanding of its structure.
The identification of white matter connections between the precuneus, SPL, and hippocampus suggests that the cingulum may contribute to spatial memory processes, linking higher-order cognitive regions with the hippocampal memory system. By comparing DTI with direct dissections, we highlight the strengths and limitations of tractography, emphasizing the need for multi-method approaches in studying brain connectivity. These findings enhance our knowledge of cingulum anatomy.