open access

Vol 78, No 3 (2019)
Original article
Submitted: 2018-10-23
Accepted: 2018-12-07
Published online: 2018-12-20
Get Citation

Evaluation of relationship between middle cerebellar peduncle asymmetry and dominant hand by diffusion tensor imaging

G. Polat1
·
Pubmed: 30575006
·
Folia Morphol 2019;78(3):481-486.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey

open access

Vol 78, No 3 (2019)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Submitted: 2018-10-23
Accepted: 2018-12-07
Published online: 2018-12-20

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) asymmetry by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) according to the dominant hand.

Materials and methods: Sixty-four volunteers who met the exclusion and inclusion criteria were prospectively evaluated by DTI. Circular voxels of interest were drawn at the right and left MCP levels for all volunteers. The software automatically calculated the median values of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and number of fibres (NF). The volunteers were categorised as the right-handed (n = 44) and left-handed (n = 20) groups using the Dellatolas test. The mean values of FA, MD and NF were statistically compared between the two sides and

the two groups.

Results: In both groups, the mean value of FA for the right MCP was significantly higher than the left MCP (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0032 for the right- and left-handed groups, respectively). In both groups, no significant difference was observed between the right and left MCPs in terms of MD and NF (p = 0.75, p = 0.69 and p = 0.96, p = 0.46, respectively). There was also no statistically significant difference between the groups for the mean values of FA, MD and NF of each MCP (p = 0.74, p = 0.26 and p = 0.26, respectively for the right MCP and p = 0.78, p = 0.37 and p = 0.54, respectively for the left MCP).

Conclusions: There is an asymmetry between the mean FA values of the right and left MCP. However, this asymmetry is independent of the dominant hand.

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) asymmetry by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) according to the dominant hand.

Materials and methods: Sixty-four volunteers who met the exclusion and inclusion criteria were prospectively evaluated by DTI. Circular voxels of interest were drawn at the right and left MCP levels for all volunteers. The software automatically calculated the median values of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and number of fibres (NF). The volunteers were categorised as the right-handed (n = 44) and left-handed (n = 20) groups using the Dellatolas test. The mean values of FA, MD and NF were statistically compared between the two sides and

the two groups.

Results: In both groups, the mean value of FA for the right MCP was significantly higher than the left MCP (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0032 for the right- and left-handed groups, respectively). In both groups, no significant difference was observed between the right and left MCPs in terms of MD and NF (p = 0.75, p = 0.69 and p = 0.96, p = 0.46, respectively). There was also no statistically significant difference between the groups for the mean values of FA, MD and NF of each MCP (p = 0.74, p = 0.26 and p = 0.26, respectively for the right MCP and p = 0.78, p = 0.37 and p = 0.54, respectively for the left MCP).

Conclusions: There is an asymmetry between the mean FA values of the right and left MCP. However, this asymmetry is independent of the dominant hand.

Get Citation

Keywords

middle cerebellar peduncle; diffusion tensor imaging; fractional anisotropy; dominant hand

About this article
Title

Evaluation of relationship between middle cerebellar peduncle asymmetry and dominant hand by diffusion tensor imaging

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Vol 78, No 3 (2019)

Article type

Original article

Pages

481-486

Published online

2018-12-20

Page views

1155

Article views/downloads

925

DOI

10.5603/FM.a2018.0116

Pubmed

30575006

Bibliographic record

Folia Morphol 2019;78(3):481-486.

Keywords

middle cerebellar peduncle
diffusion tensor imaging
fractional anisotropy
dominant hand

Authors

G. Polat

References (21)
  1. Amunts K, Schlaug G, Schleicher A, et al. Asymmetry in the human motor cortex and handedness. Neuroimage. 1996; 4(3 Pt 1): 216–222.
  2. Büchel C, Raedler T, Sommer M, et al. White matter asymmetry in the human brain: a diffusion tensor MRI study. Cereb Cortex. 2004; 14(9): 945–951.
  3. Dellatolas GD, Jallon P, Poncet M, et al. Mesure de la préférence manuelle par autoquestionnaire dans la population française adulte. Psychologie aplliquee. 1988; 38: 117–136.
  4. Galaburda AM, Sanides F, Geschwind N. Human brain. Cytoarchitectonic left-right asymmetries in the temporal speech region. Arch Neurol. 1978; 35(12): 812–817.
  5. Geschwind N. Cerebral dominance and anatomic asymmetry. N Engl J Med. 1972; 287(4): 194–195.
  6. Good CD, Johnsrude I, Ashburner J, et al. Cerebral asymmetry and the effects of sex and handedness on brain structure: a voxel-based morphometric analysis of 465 normal adult human brains. Neuroimage. 2001; 14(3): 685–700.
  7. Guadalupe T, Willems RM, Zwiers MP, et al. Differences in cerebral cortical anatomy of left- and right-handers. Front Psychol. 2014; 5: 261.
  8. Hammond G. Correlates of human handedness in primary motor cortex: a review and hypothesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2002; 26(3): 285–292.
  9. Kavaklioglu T, Guadalupe T, Zwiers M, et al. Structural asymmetries of the human cerebellum in relation to cerebral cortical asymmetries and handedness. Brain Struct Funct. 2017; 222(4): 1611–1623.
  10. Kertesz A, Geschwind N. Patterns of pyramidal decussation and their relationship to handedness. Arch Neurol. 1971; 24(4): 326–332.
  11. Kertesz A, Polk M, Black SE, et al. Anatomical asymmetries and functional laterality. Brain. 1992; 115 ( Pt 2): 589–605.
  12. Lee DH, Lee DW, Han BS. Symmetrical location characteristics of corticospinal tract associated with hand movement in the human brain: a probabilistic diffusion tensor tractography. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(15): e3317.
  13. Pujol J, López-Sala A, Deus J, et al. The lateral asymmetry of the human brain studied by volumetric magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage. 2002; 17(2): 670–679.
  14. Re TJ, Levman J, Lim AR, et al. High-angular resolution diffusion imaging tractography of cerebellar pathways from newborns to young adults. Brain Behav. 2017; 7(1): e00589.
  15. Reimão S, Morgado C, Neto L, et al. Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Movement Disorders: Review of Major Patterns and Correlation with Normal Brainstem/cerebellar White Matter. Neuroradiol J. 2011; 24(2): 177–186.
  16. Seizeur R, Magro E, Prima S, et al. Corticospinal tract asymmetry and handedness in right- and left-handers by diffusion tensor tractography. Surg Radiol Anat. 2014; 36(2): 111–124.
  17. Toga AW, Thompson PM. Mapping brain asymmetry. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2003; 4(1): 37–48.
  18. van der Zwaag W, Kusters R, Magill A, et al. Digit somatotopy in the human cerebellum: a 7T fMRI study. Neuroimage. 2013; 67: 354–362.
  19. Wang S, Fan GG, Xu Ke, et al. Altered microstructural connectivity of the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles are related to motor dysfunction in children with diffuse periventricular leucomalacia born preterm: a DTI tractography study. Eur J Radiol. 2014; 83(6): 997–1004.
  20. Westerhausen R, Huster RJ, Kreuder F, et al. Corticospinal tract asymmetries at the level of the internal capsule: is there an association with handedness? Neuroimage. 2007; 37(2): 379–386.
  21. Wu T, Hallett M. The cerebellum in Parkinson's disease. Brain. 2013; 136(Pt 3): 696–709.

Regulations

Important: This website uses cookies. More >>

The cookies allow us to identify your computer and find out details about your last visit. They remembering whether you've visited the site before, so that you remain logged in - or to help us work out how many new website visitors we get each month. Most internet browsers accept cookies automatically, but you can change the settings of your browser to erase cookies or prevent automatic acceptance if you prefer.

By VM Media Group sp. z o.o., Grupa Via Medica, Świętokrzyska 73, 80–180 Gdańsk, Poland

tel.: +48 58 320 94 94, faks: +48 58 320 94 60, e-mail: viamedica@viamedica.pl