Differential spatial patterns of structural connectivity of amygdala nuclei with orbitofrontal cortex. Issue 5 (3rd December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matyi, Melanie A.; Spielberg, Jeffrey M.
• Is Part Of: Human brain mapping. Volume 42:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 1391
• Page End: 1405
• Publication Date: 2020-12-03
• Subjects: amygdala nuclei -- orbitofrontal cortex -- SCR_001847 -- SCR_002823 -- SCR_003490 -- structural connectivity; Brain mapping -- Periodicals; 611.81
• DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25300
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1065-9471

Abstract

Abstract: The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)‐amygdala circuit is critical to goal‐directed behavior, learning, and valuation. However, our understanding of the OFC‐amygdala connections that support these emergent processes is hampered by our reliance on the primate literature and insufficient knowledge regarding the connectivity patterns between regions of OFC and amygdala nuclei, each of which is differentially involved in these processes in humans. Thus, we examined structural connectivity between different OFC regions and four amygdala nuclei in healthy adults ( n = 1, 053) using diffusion‐based anatomical networks and probabilistic tractography in four conceptually distinct ways. First, we identified the OFC regions that connect with each nucleus. Second, we identified the OFC regions that were more likely to connect with a given nucleus than the others. Finally, we developed probabilistic and rank‐order maps of OFC (one for each nucleus) based upon the likelihood of each OFC voxel exhibiting preferential connectivity with each nucleus and the relative density of connectivity between each OFC voxel and each nucleus, respectively. The first analyses revealed that the connections of each nucleus spanned all of OFC, reflecting widespread overall amygdala linkage with OFC. Analysis of preferential connectivity and probabilistic and rank‐order maps of OFC converged to reveal differential patterns of connectivity between OFC and each nucleus. Present findings illustrate the importance of accounting for spatial specificity when examining links between OFC and amygdala. This fine‐grained examination of OFC‐amygdala connectivity can be applied to understand how such connectivity patterns support a range of emergent functions including affective and motivational processes. Abstract : Structural connectivity between regions of orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala nuclei are examined in four conceptually distinct ways, including comparisons of connectivity among amygdala nuclei and the calculation of orbitofrontal cortex spatial maps based upon (a) the likelihood of connectivity with each nucleus and (b) the relative density of connectivity between orbitofrontal cortex and each nucleus. Results converged to reveal differential patterns of connectivity between orbitofrontal cortex and each amygdala nucleus.