Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Centre for Sleep & Cognition & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.
J Neurophysiol. 2021 Feb 1;125(2):358-384. doi: 10.1152/jn.00561.2020. Epub 2020 Dec 2.
Distinct regions of the cerebellum connect to separate regions of the cerebral cortex forming a complex topography. Although cerebellar organization has been examined in group-averaged data, study of individuals provides an opportunity to discover features that emerge at a higher spatial resolution. Here, functional connectivity MRI was used to examine the cerebellum of two intensively sampled individuals (each scanned 31 times). Connectivity to somatomotor cortex showed the expected crossed laterality and topography of the body maps. A surprising discovery was connectivity to the primary visual cortex along the vermis with evidence for representation of the central field. Within the hemispheres, each individual displayed a hierarchical progression from the inverted anterior lobe somatomotor map through to higher-order association zones. The hierarchy ended at Crus I/II and then progressed in reverse order through to the upright somatomotor map in the posterior lobe. Evidence for a third set of networks was found in the most posterior extent of the cerebellum. Detailed analysis of the higher-order association networks revealed robust representations of two distinct networks linked to the default network, multiple networks linked to cognitive control, as well as a separate representation of a language network. Although idiosyncratic spatial details emerged between subjects, each network could be detected in both individuals, and seed regions placed within the cerebellum recapitulated the full extent of the spatially specific cerebral networks. The observation of multiple networks in juxtaposed regions at the Crus I/II apex confirms the importance of this zone to higher-order cognitive function and reveals new organizational details. Stable, within-individual maps of cerebellar organization reveal orderly macroscale representations of the cerebral cortex with local juxtaposed zones representing distinct networks. In addition, individuals reveal idiosyncratic organizational features.
小脑的不同区域与大脑皮层的不同区域相连,形成了一个复杂的地形。虽然小脑的组织已经在群体平均数据中进行了研究,但对个体的研究提供了一个发现更高空间分辨率出现的特征的机会。在这里,使用功能连接磁共振成像检查了两个密集采样个体(每个个体扫描 31 次)的小脑。与躯体感觉皮层的连接显示了预期的交叉偏侧性和身体图的地形。一个令人惊讶的发现是与蚓部初级视觉皮层的连接,有中央视野的证据。在半球内,每个个体都显示出从前叶躯体感觉图到更高阶联合区的层次进展。这种层次结构在 Crus I/II 结束,然后以相反的顺序通过后叶的直立躯体感觉图进行。在小脑的最后部发现了第三组网络的证据。对高阶联合网络的详细分析显示了与默认网络相关的两个不同网络的稳健表示、与认知控制相关的多个网络,以及语言网络的单独表示。尽管在个体之间出现了特有的空间细节,但每个网络都可以在两个人中检测到,并且在小脑内放置的种子区域再现了空间特定大脑网络的全部范围。在 Crus I/II 顶点毗邻区域观察到多个网络,证实了该区域对高阶认知功能的重要性,并揭示了新的组织细节。小脑组织的稳定个体内图谱揭示了大脑皮层的有序宏观表示,局部毗邻区域代表不同的网络。此外,个体还揭示了特有的组织特征。