Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Sternwartstrasse 6, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
Neuroscience. 2013 Apr 16;236:117-35. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.076. Epub 2013 Jan 20.
The human insula has been the focus of great attention in the last decade due to substantial progress in neuroimaging methodology and applications. Anatomical support for functional localization and interpretations, however, is still fragmented. The aim of the present study was to re-examine the microanatomical organization of the insula and relate cytoarchitectonic maps to major sulcal/gyral patterns by registration to high-resolution MR images of the same brains. The insula was divided into seven architectonic subdivisions (G, Ig, Id1-3, Ia1-2) that were charted on unfolded maps of the insula following a method used previously in monkeys. The results reveal overall similar patterns of Nissl, and to some extent also, myelin and parvalbumin (PV), as in monkeys, with a postero-dorsal to antero-ventral gradient of hypergranular to granular, dysgranular and agranular fields. Reversals occur ventrally along the inferior peri-insular sulcus (IPS), at the margin with the temporal operculum, and anteriorly at the limit with orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). A large portion of agranular cortex is characterized by a dense accumulation of the spindle-shaped von Economo neurons (VENs) in layer V. The distribution of VENs is not restricted to agranular insula but also extends into the anterior part of dysgranular fields. The patterns of intracortical myelin and of PV neuropil in the middle layers follow decreasing gradients from postero-dorsal granular to antero-ventral agranular insula, with particularly strong staining in posterior and dorsal insula. A separate PV enhanced area in the middle-dorsal insula corresponds in location to the presumed human gustatory area. Projections of the cytoarchitectonic maps onto high-resolution stereotactic MRI reveal a near concentric organization around the limen insula, with each cytoarchitectonic subdivision encompassing several major insular gyri/sulci. The dysgranular domain is the largest, taking up about half of the insula. The present study of the human insula provides a new anatomical basis for MR imaging and clinical applications.
由于神经影像学方法和应用的实质性进展，人类脑岛在过去十年中引起了极大的关注。然而，对于功能定位和解释的解剖学支持仍然是零散的。本研究的目的是重新检查脑岛的微观解剖结构，并通过与同一大脑的高分辨率磁共振图像配准，将细胞构筑图与主要的脑回/脑沟模式相关联。脑岛被分为七个细胞构筑学分区（G、Ig、Id1-3、Ia1-2），这些分区是在以前用于猴子的方法的基础上，在脑岛的展开图上绘制的。结果显示，与猴子一样，尼氏染色、在某种程度上还有髓鞘和副甲状腺蛋白（PV）的总体模式相似，具有从后-背到前-腹的超颗粒到颗粒、颗粒不良和无颗粒场的梯度。在沿下脑岛周沟（IPS）的腹侧出现反转，在与颞叶盖的边缘处，以及在与眶额皮质（OFC）的前侧出现反转。大部分无颗粒皮质的特征是 V 层中纺锤形 von Economo 神经元（VENs）的密集堆积。VENs 的分布不仅限于无颗粒脑岛，也延伸到颗粒不良区域的前部。中间层的皮质内髓鞘和 PV 神经毡的分布从后-背颗粒到前-腹无颗粒脑岛呈递减梯度，在后部和背部脑岛的染色特别强烈。中脑岛的一个单独的 PV 增强区与假定的人类味觉区的位置相对应。细胞构筑图的投射到高分辨率立体定向 MRI 上，显示出以脑岛边缘为中心的近同心组织，每个细胞构筑分区都包含几个主要的脑回/脑沟。颗粒不良域是最大的，占据脑岛的约一半。本研究为磁共振成像和临床应用提供了人类脑岛的新解剖学基础。
