The superior frontal sulcus in the human brain – Morphology and probability maps
Data files
Oct 06, 2023 version files 96.90 MB
Abstract
The superior frontal sulcus (SFS) is a major sulcus on the dorsolateral frontal cortex that defines the lateral limit of the superior frontal gyrus. Caudally, it originates near the superior precentral sulcus (SPRS) and rostrally, it terminates near the frontal pole. The advent of structural neuroimaging has revealed that this primary sulcus shows significant variability below the surface which is not captured by the classic sulcal maps. The present investigation examined the morphological variability of the SFS in 50 individual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the human brain that were registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) standard stereotaxic space. Two primary morphological patterns were identified: i) the SFS was classified as either a continuous sulcus or ii) the SFS was a complex of sulcal segments. Further, the SFS showed a high probability of merging with neighboring sulci on the superior and middle frontal gyri, and these patterns were documented. In addition, the morphological variability and spatial extent of the SFS were quantified using volumetric and surface spatial probability maps. The results from the current investigation provide an anatomical framework for understanding the sulcal morphology of the SFS, which is critical for the interpretation of structural and functional neuroimaging data in the dorsolateral frontal region, as well as for improving the accuracy of neurosurgical interventions.
README
Volumetric and Surface Spatial Probability Maps for the Superior Frontal Sulcus of the Human Brain
K. Drudik, M. Petrides
Spatial probability maps can be used by researchers to superimpose individual subject functional activity peaks on the probability maps to faciliate the identification of sulci found within the dorsolateral frontal cortex.
The volumetric probability maps should be overlaid onto the recent Montreal Neurological Institute average stereotaxic template (MNI152 2009c asymmetric template).
The software pacakage, DISPLAY (MacDonald 1996; Vincent et al. 2016), can be used for visualization.
The surface probability maps should visualized using the open-access pipeline FreeSurfer (Dale et al. 1999; Fischl et al. 1999a, b).
The surface probability mapps should be overlaid onto the pial surface of FreeSurfer's average surface template, fsaverage.
Files included:
- surface_type1_lh.mgz: Surface probability map for Type I superior frontal sulcus in the left hemisphere
- surface_type1_rh.mgz: Surface probability map for Type I superior frontal sulcus in the right hemisphere
- surface_type2_lh.mgz: Surface probability map for Type II superior frontal sulcus in the left hemisphere
- surface_type2_rh.mgz: Surface probability map for Type II superior frontal sulcus in the right hemisphere
- volume_type1_lh.mnc: Volumetric probability map for Type I superior frontal sulcus in the left hemisphere
- volume_type1_rh.mnc: Volumetric probability map for Type I superior frontal sulcus in the right hemisphere
- volume_type2_lh.mnc: Volumetric probability map for Type II superior frontal sulcus in the left hemisphere
- volume_type2_rh.mnc: Volumetric probability map for Type II superior frontal sulcus in the right hemisphere