Jang Sung Ho, Kwon Hyeok Gyu
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Korea.
Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Gyeonggi, Korea.
Curr Med Imaging Rev. 2019;15(4):369-372. doi: 10.2174/1573405614666180522081034.
Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS) has a key role in consciousness. The ARAS is a complex network consisting of a portion of the brainstem reticular formation, nonspecific thalamic nuclei, hypothalamus, Basal Forebrain (BF), and cerebral cortex. We examined the reconstruction method and features of the neural tract between the hypothalamus and the BF in normal subjects, using Diffusion Tensor Tractography (DTT).
Twenty-three healthy subjects were recruited. The ARAS between the hypothalamus and the BF was reconstructed by two Regions of Interest (ROIs): 1) seed ROI - the isolated green portion for the BF on the color map, 2) target ROI - the hypothalamus on the axial image. DTT parameters of the ARAS between the hypothalamus and the BF were examined.
Among 46 hemispheres in 23 normal subjects, 24 hemispheres (52.2 %) were identified in the ARAS between the hypothalamus and the BF. The reconstructed ARAS between the hypothalamus and the BF connected from the hypothalamus to the commissural level and anteriorly through the anterior commissure and then reached the BF.
Using DTT, the ARAS between the hypothalamus and the BF was identified in normal subjects. Because the hypothalamus and BF are related to the regulation of wakefulness and sleep, our reconstruction method and results would be useful in the research on sleep and wakefulness aspects of consciousness.
上行网状激活系统（ARAS）在意识中起关键作用。ARAS是一个复杂的网络，由脑干网状结构的一部分、非特异性丘脑核、下丘脑、基底前脑（BF）和大脑皮层组成。我们使用弥散张量纤维束成像（DTT）研究了正常受试者下丘脑与BF之间神经束的重建方法及特征。
招募23名健康受试者。通过两个感兴趣区域（ROI）重建下丘脑与BF之间的ARAS：1）种子ROI——彩色图谱上BF的孤立绿色部分；2）目标ROI——轴位图像上的下丘脑。检测下丘脑与BF之间ARAS的DTT参数。
在23名正常受试者的46个半球中，24个半球（52.2%）在下丘脑与BF之间的ARAS中被识别出来。重建的下丘脑与BF之间的ARAS从下丘脑连接到连合水平，并通过前连合向前延伸，然后到达BF。
使用DTT在正常受试者中识别出了下丘脑与BF之间的ARAS。由于下丘脑和BF与觉醒和睡眠的调节有关，我们的重建方法和结果将有助于意识的睡眠和觉醒方面的研究。
