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The extreme capsule in humans and rethinking of the language circuitry

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Abstract

Experimental and imaging studies in monkeys have outlined various long association fiber pathways within the fronto-temporo-parietal region. In the present study, the trajectory of the extreme capsule (EmC) fibers has been delineated in five human subjects using DT-MRI tractography. The EmC seems to be a long association fiber pathway, which courses between the inferior frontal region and the superior temporal gyrus extending into the inferior parietal lobule. Comparison of EmC fibers with the adjacent association fiber pathway, the middle longitudinal fascicle (MdLF), in the same subjects reveals that EmC is located in a medial and rostral position relative to MdLF flanking in part the medial wall of the insula. The EmC can also be differentiated from other neighboring fiber pathways such as the external capsule, uncinate fascicle, arcuate fascicle, superior longitudinal fascicles II and III, and the inferior longitudinal fascicle. Given the location of EmC within the language zone, specifically Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, and Wernicke’s area in the temporal lobe and inferior parietal lobule, it is suggested that the extreme capsule could have a role in language function.

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Acknowledgments

Preparation of this article was supported in part by grants from: the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to Dr. Nikos Makris. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Edward H. Yeterian, Dr. Larry Seidman, Jonathan Kaiser, Danielle Sliva, George Papadimitriou, Steve Hodge, Thomas Benner and Dr. Andre van der Kouwe for their valuable contributions to the preparation of this manuscript. Offprints: Nikos Makris, M.D., Ph.D., Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th St., Room 6017, Charlestown, MA.

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  1. Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA

    Nikos Makris

  2. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Nikos Makris & Deepak N. Pandya

  3. Center for Morphometric Analysis, A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA

    Nikos Makris

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Correspondence to Nikos Makris.

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Human research statement: The experiments undertaken in this paper were performed with the understanding and written informed consent of each subject.

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Makris, N., Pandya, D.N. The extreme capsule in humans and rethinking of the language circuitry. Brain Struct Funct 213, 343–358 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-008-0199-8

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