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Distribution of the retrograde (upper part) and of the anterograde (lower part) labeling observed in Cases 44l CTBr and 56l BDA, respectively, shown in drawings of representative coronal sections. Sections are shown in a rostral to caudal order (a-h and a'-h'). The injection sites are shown as a black zone corresponding to
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We traced the connections of the macaque Granular Frontal Opercular (GrFO) area, located in the rostralmost part of the frontal opercular margin, and compared them with those of the caudally adjacent dorsal opercular (DO) and precentral opercular (PrCO) areas. Area GrFO displays strong connections with areas DO, PrCO, and ventrolateral prefrontal (...
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... all the cases, the labeling extended caudally to area GrFO involving very densely both areas DO and PrCO (Figs. 5, 6e, e'). The labeling also extended in the PMv, where it was very rich in the mostly hand-related area F5a, also involving the adjacent fundal area 44 and con- siderably weaker in the mostly face/mouth-related ventral part of area F5c (Figs. 5, 6e, f, e'). Some labeling, especially in Case 44l CTBr, was observed in area F6/pre- SMA (Figs. ...
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... the cases, the labeling extended caudally to area GrFO involving very densely both areas DO and PrCO (Figs. 5, 6e, e'). The labeling also extended in the PMv, where it was very rich in the mostly hand-related area F5a, also involving the adjacent fundal area 44 and con- siderably weaker in the mostly face/mouth-related ventral part of area F5c (Figs. 5, 6e, f, e'). Some labeling, especially in Case 44l CTBr, was observed in area F6/pre- SMA (Figs. 5, 6d, f, f'). Relatively dense labeling also involved different subdivisions of the agranular cingulate area 24 (Fig. 6d, f, d', f'). The labeling was located either on the cingulate gyrus (areas 24a and 24b) or in the Abbreviations as in Fig. ...
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... PrCO (Figs. 5, 6e, e'). The labeling also extended in the PMv, where it was very rich in the mostly hand-related area F5a, also involving the adjacent fundal area 44 and con- siderably weaker in the mostly face/mouth-related ventral part of area F5c (Figs. 5, 6e, f, e'). Some labeling, especially in Case 44l CTBr, was observed in area F6/pre- SMA (Figs. 5, 6d, f, f'). Relatively dense labeling also involved different subdivisions of the agranular cingulate area 24 (Fig. 6d, f, d', f'). The labeling was located either on the cingulate gyrus (areas 24a and 24b) or in the Abbreviations as in Fig. 1. Scale bar in b applies to b, c. Note that apparent differences in cell size and density between ...
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... also involving the adjacent fundal area 44 and con- siderably weaker in the mostly face/mouth-related ventral part of area F5c (Figs. 5, 6e, f, e'). Some labeling, especially in Case 44l CTBr, was observed in area F6/pre- SMA (Figs. 5, 6d, f, f'). Relatively dense labeling also involved different subdivisions of the agranular cingulate area 24 (Fig. 6d, f, d', f'). The labeling was located either on the cingulate gyrus (areas 24a and 24b) or in the Abbreviations as in Fig. 1. Scale bar in b applies to b, c. Note that apparent differences in cell size and density between the section shown in this figure and that shown in Fig. 2 can be accounted for by differences in shrinkage due to different ...
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... sulcus. Other abbreviations as in Fig. 1 cingulate sulcus in the cingulate motor areas 24c and 24d, especially in Case 56r FB. In the prefrontal cortex, there were several relatively richly labeled VLPF and orbito- frontal areas, especially in Case 61r FB. Specifically, dense labeling was observed in the VLPF area 12l, just rostral to area GrFO (Figs. 5, 6c, c'). More rostrally, marked cells and terminals were observed in the two hand-related VLPF fields rostral 46vc and intermediate 12r (Fig. 6a-c, b', c'; Borra et al. 2011;Gerbella et al. 2013). In the orbitofrontal cortex, quite rich labeling was observed in area 12o and, more rostrally, in areas 11 and 12m (Fig. 6a, b, d, a', d'). Labeled ...
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... cortex, there were several relatively richly labeled VLPF and orbito- frontal areas, especially in Case 61r FB. Specifically, dense labeling was observed in the VLPF area 12l, just rostral to area GrFO (Figs. 5, 6c, c'). More rostrally, marked cells and terminals were observed in the two hand-related VLPF fields rostral 46vc and intermediate 12r (Fig. 6a-c, b', c'; Borra et al. 2011;Gerbella et al. 2013). In the orbitofrontal cortex, quite rich labeling was observed in area 12o and, more rostrally, in areas 11 and 12m (Fig. 6a, b, d, a', d'). Labeled cells and terminals were also observed in area 13, especially in Case 61r FB. Very rich labeling was also observed in two distinct zones of the ...
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... just rostral to area GrFO (Figs. 5, 6c, c'). More rostrally, marked cells and terminals were observed in the two hand-related VLPF fields rostral 46vc and intermediate 12r (Fig. 6a-c, b', c'; Borra et al. 2011;Gerbella et al. 2013). In the orbitofrontal cortex, quite rich labeling was observed in area 12o and, more rostrally, in areas 11 and 12m (Fig. 6a, b, d, a', d'). Labeled cells and terminals were also observed in area 13, especially in Case 61r FB. Very rich labeling was also observed in two distinct zones of the insular cortex. One was located more rostrally in the agranular insula, the other more caudally, mostly involving the dysgranular insula (Figs. 5, 6e-g, ...
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... cells and terminals were observed also in the upper bank of the LF in the location of area SII (Figs. 5, 6g, h, g', h'). In Cases 61r FB and 44l CTBr, the labeling appeared to be more concentrated in a more rostral and a more caudal zone, respectively. In Case 56l BDA, both zones were involved by the anterograde labeling. Com- parison with functional studies of the SII region ( Fitzgerald et al. 2004) suggests that the labeling altogether ...
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Citations
... For the sensorimotor grasping network , ROIs were defined in intraparietal area AIP, ventral premotor area F5a, hand representation of S1 and parietal area PE ( Belmalih et al., 2009 ;Gerbella et al., 2011 ;Nelissen and Vanduffel, 2011 ;Borra et al., 2017 ;Sharma et al., 2018Sharma et al., , 2019. In the gustatory/ingestive network , we defined a ROI in the mouth representation of area F4 (F4 ventral) ( Kurata, 2018 ;Maranesi et al., 2012 ) and in frontal operculum regions PrCO, DO and GrFO involved in gustatory processing and orofacial movements ( Gerbella et al., 2016 ;Sharma et al., 2019 ;Ferrari et al., 2017 ). Finally, four ROIs were defined in the social/affiliative network. ...
Neurophysiological investigations over the past decades have demonstrated the involvement of the primate insula in a wide array of sensory, cognitive, affective and regulatory functions, yet the complex functional organization of the insula remains unclear. Here we examined to what extent non-invasive task-based and resting-state fMRI provides support for functional specialization and integration of sensory and motor information in the macaque insula. Task-based fMRI experiments suggested a functional specialization related to processing of ingestive/taste/distaste information in anterior insula, grasping-related sensorimotor responses in middle insula and vestibular information in posterior insula. Visual stimuli depicting social information involving conspecific`s lip-smacking gestures yielded responses in middle and anterior portions of dorsal and ventral insula, overlapping partially with the sensorimotor and ingestive/taste/distaste fields. Functional specialization/integration of the insula was further corroborated by seed-based whole brain resting-state analyses, showing distinct functional connectivity gradients across the anterio-posterior extent of both dorsal and ventral insula. Posterior insula showed functional correlations in particular with vestibular/optic flow network regions, mid-dorsal insula with vestibular/optic flow as well as parieto-frontal regions of the sensorimotor grasping network, mid-ventral insula with social/affiliative network regions in temporal, cingulate and prefrontal cortices and anterior insula with taste and mouth motor networks including premotor and frontal opercular regions.
... [21][22][23] The ACC has connections with the ventral insula, temporal pole, orbitofrontal cortex, frontal operculum, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. [24][25][26][27][28][29] In the literature, hyperkinetic seizures with emotional manifestations and gestural behavior are described as originating predominantly near the frontopolar regions, orbitofrontal cortex, 21,23 and in the temporal lobe. 30 The ACC seizures in our patients were characterized by complex primordial behaviors, which could include violent reactions or sexual actions, as well as strong emotional components and impaired awareness. ...
Background and Objectives
Cingulate epilepsy (CE) is a rare and challenging type of focal epilepsy, due to the polymorphic semiology of the seizures, mimicking other types of epilepsy, and the limited utility of scalp-EEG.
Methods
We selected consecutive drug-resistant subjects with CE who were seizure-free after surgery, with seizure onset zone (SOZ) confirmed in the CC (cingulate cortex) by histology and/or SEEG. We analysed subjective and objective ictal manifestations using video recordings and correlated sem e iology with anatomical CC subregions (anterior, anterior middle, posterior middle and posterior) localization of SOZ.
Results
We analysed 122 seizures in 57 patients. Seizures were globally characterized by complex behaviors, typically natural seeming and often accompanied by emotional components.
All objective ictal variables considered (pronation of the body or getting up from a lying/sitting position, tonic/dystonic posturing, hand movements, asymmetry, vocalizations, fluidity and repetitiveness of motor manifestations, awareness and emotional and autonomic components) were differently distributed among CC subregions ( p <.05) Along the rostro-caudal axis fluidity and repetitiveness of movement, vocalizations, body pronation and emotional components decrease anterior-posteriorly, while tonic/dystonic postures, signs of lateralization and awareness increase.
Vestibular and asymmetric somatosensory, somatosensory and epigastric and enteroceptive/autonomic symptoms were distributed differently among CC subregions ( p <.05). Along the rostro-caudal axis vestibular, somatosensory and somatosensory asymmetric symptoms increase anterior-posterior.
Discussion
CE is characterized by a spectrum of semeiological manifestations with a topographic distribution. CE semiology could indicate which cingulate sector is mainly involved.
... This result suggests that the frontal operculum (FOP) may be involved in individual differences in emotions and self-control. Prior anatomical studies have shown that FOP is the main hub linking the emotional network (Gerbella et al., 2016;Jezzini et al., 2015;Morecraft et al., 2012), and Jabbi and Keyser proposed that FOP is involved in voluntary control of emotional facial expressions (Jabbi & Keysers, 2008). ...
Although aggression’s brain correlates have attracted attention in recent years, to date, its principles remain unclear. We speculate that, according to mastery motivation for aggression (disinhibition–control), aggression can be divided into two types, aggression under disinhibition and aggression under control, and that the two types should have different brain correlates. To test our hypothesis, voxel-based morphometry was used to explore the interaction of aggression and self-control on brain structural features (gray matter volume, GMV) in 202 undergraduate and graduate students. The Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) were used to measure individual differences in aggression (including total aggression and the four aggression dimensions) and self-control, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated significant interaction between BPAQ and BSCS scores on the GMV of bilateral Area Fo1 (orbital frontal cortex, OFC). Furthermore, the interactions of two aggression dimensions (physical aggression and anger) and self-control significantly correlated with the GMV of bilateral Area Fo1 and right Area Op5 (frontal operculum, FOP), respectively. Further, moderation effect and simple slope analysis found that, among individuals with high self-control but not among individuals with high disinhibition, aggression (including total aggression and physical aggression) was negatively associated with the GMV of bilateral Area Fo1 and that anger (an aggression dimension) was negatively associated with the GMV of right Area Op5, respectively. These results partly support our hypotheses and help us further understand the brain’s structural correlates of aggression in individual differences.
... In particular, strong thalamic projections are sent to premotor and prefrontal areas including ventral premotor cortex (PMV) (Fang et al., 2006). Strong anatomic connections also exist between the amygdala and the granular frontal operculum, an adjacent and connected region to the PMv (Gerbella et al., 2014). Amygdala activation could leads to heart rate increases and HRV decreases through activation or disinhibition of sympatho-excitatory neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla, and inhibition of vagal activity through the nucleus ambiguous (Thayer & Sternberg, 2009). ...
... Par exemple, l'insula est fonctionnellement et anatomiquement liée à l'amygdale(Mufson et al., 1981 ;Uddin et al., 2017), qui jouerait un rôle dans la régulation des distances lors des interactions sociales comme observé à travers mes résultats obtenus chez les patients et dans l'étude deKennedy et al. (2009) ou encore observé présentant une activité atypique chez les sujets autistes(Lough et al., 2015) qui serait également liée à une diminution anormale de la distance personnelle(Kennedy & Adolphs, 2014 ;Massaccesi et al., 2021). Cette région serait également liée au lobule pariétal, au PMv(Gerbella et al., 2014) et à la région FFA où une récente étude a mis en évidence une augmentation de la connectivité fonctionnelle entre l'amygdale, l'IPS et la région du FFA chez les patients autistes comparés aux sujets sains(Massaccesi et al., 2021). Dans cette pathologie, une intéroception atypique a été identifiée(Mul et al., 2019 ;Quadt et al., 2018) ce qui pourrait être lié à une altération de la représentation de l'EPP et de l'espace personnel(Mul et al., 2019 ;Noel et al., 2017). ...
Même si nous percevons l'espace qui nous entoure comme un continuum cartésien, la région de l'espace près du corps où se déroulent les interactions physiques avec l'environnement est une région spéciale, appelée espace péri-personnel (EPP). L’EPP a d'abord été défini sur la base des propriétés de neurones enregistrés chez le singe dans des régions cérébrales prémotrices et pariétales spécifiques. Plus récemment, un réseau homologue putatif a été identifié chez l'homme en utilisant l’IRMf. La représentation de cet espace ne fait pas référence à une région bien délimitée avec des frontières claires mais est au contraire flexible, nous permettant d'adapter notre comportement en fonction du contexte. En particulier, le monde des hommes et des singes est avant tout un monde social. Dans ce monde social, une zone de confort est nécessaire pour réguler la distance entre soi et les autres et ainsi éviter l'inconfort, voire l'anxiété. Cependant, on sait encore peu de choses sur cette dimension sociale de l’EPP comparé à celle liée aux objets. Dans ce contexte, mon travail de thèse visait d'abord à combler le fossé entre les propriétés enregistrées dans les neurones individuels du singe et les activités cérébrales identifiées en neuroimagerie du réseau prémoteur-pariétal humain. Deuxièmement, il visait à apporter un nouvel éclairage sur la dimension sociale de l’EPP, un sujet qui a été largement négligé jusqu'à présent alors qu'il est de la plus haute importance pour tous les animaux. Pour répondre à ces questions, j'ai développé des protocoles utilisant un environnement de réalité virtuelle (RV) permettant une manipulation et un contrôle très précis des informations visuelles à différentes distances de notre corps. Pour réaliser mon premier objectif, j’ai utilisé des procédures expérimentales similaires chez l'homme et le singe afin de comparer l'activité cérébrale en IRMf. À travers deux tâches, où des objets réels ou virtuels étaient présentés à différentes distances (proche et éloignée) du corps, j'ai identifié un réseau prémoteur-pariétal homologue sous-jacent à la représentation de l’EPP chez les deux espèces. Pour réaliser mon deuxième objectif, j'ai utilisé une approche multi-échelle. Plus précisément, mon objectif était de comprendre comment les informations sociales (expressions faciales émotionnelles) dans notre EPP affectent nos capacités de perception, notre état physiologique, et notre activité cérébrale. Au niveau comportemental, mes résultats ont montré que nos capacités de discrimination visuelle étaient améliorées lorsque les visages émotionnels étaient présentés dans l’EPP par rapport à l'espace lointain, même lorsque la taille rétinienne était similaire pour les images proches et lointaines. Cette amélioration des capacités perceptives s'accompagnait d'une augmentation de la fréquence cardiaque lorsque les visages émotionnels étaient proches du corps. Enfin, au niveau neuronal, j'ai identifié un réseau occipito-prémoteur-pariétal avec une activité accrue en présence de visages émotionnels proches par rapport aux visages lointains. Mes résultats montrent également qu'un réseau commun code de manière similaire des stimuli sociaux et non sociaux dans l’EPP. Parallèlement à ce travail réalisé chez des volontaires sains, j'ai également établi un lien direct entre des lésions unilatérales médio-temporales et un déficit dans la régulation appropriée des distances sociales. En résumé, mes résultats démontrent que la présence sociale dans l’EPP facilite nos performances comportementales, augmente notre niveau de vigilance et recrute un réseau neuronal prémoteur-pariétal central quelque soit le type d’information (sociale ou non sociale). Ainsi, un réseau neuronal commun permettrait une réponse rapide, qui pourrait être principalement recruté dans n’importe quelle situation se produisant dans notre EPP, et des régions cérébrales supplémentaires pourraient entrer en jeu afin d’affiner notre comportement en fonction du contexte.
... In between premotor F5a in the posterior bank of the lower arcuate and prefrontal area 45B in the anterior bank, a dysgranular transition zone has been described, corresponding to area 44 ( Petrides et al., 2005 ;Belmalih et al., 2009 ;Frey et al., 2014 ). Antero-ventrally, areas 44, F5a and F5c are bordered by another area with distinct cytoarchitectonic features, area GrFO ( Gerbella et al., 2016 ; part of area ProM in Petrides et al., 2005 ), which occupies the anterior tip of the fundus and posterior bank of the arcuate and extends onto the frontal operculum. ...
... To further corroborate these data-driven topologies, we also conducted voxel-wise seed-based functional connectivity analyses using the clusters obtained from the hierarchical clustering analysis. This allowed us to examine the unique functional connectivity profile for each of these clusters and to compare this to previous tract-tracing investigations ( Frey et al., 2014 ;Gerbella et al., 2016Gerbella et al., , 2011 and model-based seed-based resting-state analysis ( Neubert et al., 2014 ;Sharma et al., 2019 ) obtained from each of these cortical subfields. ...
... Furthermore, the mask extended deep into the fundus of the arcuate sulcus where dysgranular area 44 has been described ( Petrides et al., 2005 ;Belmalih et al., 2009 ;Frey et al., 2014 ;Neubert et al., 2014 ;Caminiti et al., 2017 ;Palomero-Gallagher and Zilles, 2018 ). Finally, the mask extended slightly further ventral from areas 44 and F5a, thus, possibly including a portion of area GrFO ( Belmalih et al., 2009 ;Gerbella et al., 2016Gerbella et al., , 2011 in the most antero-ventral part of the fundus. This was done to ensure that the entire posterior bank and the fundus of the arcuate were included in the mask, since the precise extent and location of F5a, area 44 and the portion of GrFO in the fundus and bank of the lower arcuate are difficult to define precisely without more invasive investigations. ...
Neurophysiological and anatomical data suggest the existence of several functionally distinct regions in the lower arcuate sulcus and adjacent postarcuate convexity of the macaque monkey. Ventral premotor F5c lies on the postarcuate convexity and consists of a dorsal hand-related and ventral mouth-related field. The posterior bank of the lower arcuate contains two additional premotor F5 subfields at different anterior-posterior levels, F5a and F5p. Anterior to F5a, area 44 has been described as a dysgranular zone occupying the deepest part of the fundus of the inferior arcuate. Finally, area GrFO occupies the most rostral portion of the fundus and posterior bank of inferior arcuate and extends ventrally onto the frontal operculum. Recently, data-driven exploratory approaches using resting-state fMRI data have been suggested as a promising non-invasive method for examining the functional organization of the primate brain. Here, we examined to what extent partitioning schemes derived from data-driven clustering analysis of resting-state fMRI data correspond with the proposed organization of the fundus and posterior bank of the macaque arcuate sulcus, as suggested by invasive architectonical, connectional and functional investigations. Using a hierarchical clustering analysis, we could retrieve clusters corresponding to the dorsal and ventral portions of F5c on the postarcuate convexity, F5a and F5p at different antero-posterior locations on the posterior bank of the lower arcuate, area 44 in the fundus, as well as part of area GrFO in the most anterior portion of the fundus. Additionally, each of these clusters displayed distinct whole-brain functional connectivity, in line with previous anatomical tracer and seed-based functional connectivity investigations of F5/44 subdivisions. Overall, our data suggests that hierarchical clustering analysis of resting-state fMRI data can retrieve a fine-grained level of cortical organization that resembles detailed parcellation schemes derived from invasive functional and anatomical investigations.
... Definitions of which subregions comprise the macaque vlPFC vary. The core vlPFC regionsthose most consistently included in definitions of the vlPFC across macaque anatomy research groups-are areas 12/47 (rostral and lateral) and 45 [25][26][27][28][29]. In addition, some groups commonly include area 46v [25,[29][30][31], area 12/47O [26,28], and/or area 44 in their definition of vlPFC [11,[32][33][34][35]. Definition of the human vlPFC is more consistent, and typically consists of areas 12/47, 45 and 44 [36,37]. ...
... The core vlPFC regionsthose most consistently included in definitions of the vlPFC across macaque anatomy research groups-are areas 12/47 (rostral and lateral) and 45 [25][26][27][28][29]. In addition, some groups commonly include area 46v [25,[29][30][31], area 12/47O [26,28], and/or area 44 in their definition of vlPFC [11,[32][33][34][35]. Definition of the human vlPFC is more consistent, and typically consists of areas 12/47, 45 and 44 [36,37]. In order to best facilitate future translation to the human, here we define the macaque vlPFC as comprising areas 12/47 (rostral, lateral and orbital), 45 (45A and 45B) and 44. ...
Ventrolateral frontal area 44 is implicated in inhibitory motor functions and facilitating prefrontal control over vocalization. Yet, the corticostriatal circuitry that may contribute to area 44 functions is not clear, as prior investigation of area 44 corticostriatal projections is limited. Here, we used anterograde and retrograde tracing in macaques to map the innervation zone of area 44 corticostriatal projections, quantify their strengths, and evaluate their convergence with corticostriatal projections from non-motor and motor-related frontal regions. First, terminal fields from a rostral area 44 injection site were found primarily in the central caudate nucleus, whereas those from a caudal area 44 injection site were found primarily in the ventrolateral putamen. Second, amongst sampled striatal retrograde injection sites, area 44 input as a percentage of total frontal cortical input was highest in the ventral putamen at the level of the anterior commissure. Third, area 44 projections converged with both orofacial premotor area 6VR and other motor related projections (in the putamen), and with non-motor prefrontal projections (in the caudate nucleus). These findings support the role of area 44 as an interface between motor and non-motor functional domains, possibly facilitated by rostral and caudal area 44 subregions with distinct corticostriatal connectivity profiles.
... Definitions of which subregions comprise the macaque vlPFC vary. The core vlPFC regions-those most consistently included in definitions of the vlPFC across macaque anatomy research groups-are areas 12/47 (rostral and lateral) and 45 (Petrides and Pandya 2002;Romanski 2004Romanski , 2012Saleem et al. 2014;Gerbella et al. 2016). In addition, some groups commonly include area 46v (Price 2008;Borra et al. 2014;Saleem et al. 2014;Gerbella et al. 2016), area 12/47O (Romanski 2004(Romanski , 2012, and/or area 44 in their definition of vlPFC (Petrides 2005;Petrides et al. 2005Petrides et al. , 2012Petrides and Pandya 2009;Saleeba et al. 2019). ...
... The core vlPFC regions-those most consistently included in definitions of the vlPFC across macaque anatomy research groups-are areas 12/47 (rostral and lateral) and 45 (Petrides and Pandya 2002;Romanski 2004Romanski , 2012Saleem et al. 2014;Gerbella et al. 2016). In addition, some groups commonly include area 46v (Price 2008;Borra et al. 2014;Saleem et al. 2014;Gerbella et al. 2016), area 12/47O (Romanski 2004(Romanski , 2012, and/or area 44 in their definition of vlPFC (Petrides 2005;Petrides et al. 2005Petrides et al. , 2012Petrides and Pandya 2009;Saleeba et al. 2019). Definition of the human vlPFC is more consistent and typically consists of areas 12/47, 45, and 44 (Badre and Wagner 2007;Clark et al. 2010). ...
Ventrolateral frontal area 44 is implicated in inhibitory motor functions and facilitating prefrontal control over vocalization. The contribution of corticostriatal circuits to area 44 functions is unclear, as prior investigation of area 44 projections to the striatum-a central structure in motor circuits-is limited. Here, we used anterograde and retrograde tracing in macaques to map the innervation zone of area 44 corticostriatal projections, quantify their strengths, and evaluate their convergence with corticostriatal projections from other frontal cortical regions. First, whereas terminal fields from a rostral area 44 injection site were found primarily in the central caudate nucleus, those from a caudal area 44 injection site were found primarily in the ventrolateral putamen. Second, amongst sampled injection sites, area 44 input as a percentage of total frontal cortical input was highest in the ventral putamen at the level of the anterior commissure. Third, area 44 projections converged with orofacial premotor area 6VR and other motor-related projections (in the putamen), and with nonmotor prefrontal projections (in the caudate nucleus). Findings support the role of area 44 as an interface between motor and nonmotor functional domains, possibly facilitated by rostral and caudal area 44 subregions with distinct corticostriatal connectivity profiles.
... These data are in line with the hypothesis that emotional laughter is a peculiar strategy developed in humans to serve an evolutionary ancient goal, that is, to create affiliation and social bonding within a group (Dunbar 2012). In addition, in agreement with our tractography study, the pACC, TPv, and the VS/NAcc of the Macaque are very poorly connected or not connected at all to the main nodes of the nonemotional network, that is FO and M1 (Gerbella, Borra, Mangiaracina, et al. 2016a;Gerbella, Borra, Rozzi, et al. 2016b;Ferrari et al. 2017). ...
... In contrast to the emotional network, the nonemotional one shows significant differences in humans relative to monkeys. First, in the monkey the FO and the TPv have negligible connections (Gerbella, Borra, Rozzi, et al. 2016b). This evidence marks a difference between monkeys and humans, as in the present study we found mostly in the left hemisphere connections between FO and TPv, which we interpreted in the light of the language-related functions of conversational laughter. ...
... Indeed, in the monkey, pre-SMA and M1 project to two distinct and nonoverlapping sectors of FO. The rostral part of the FO (macaque area GrFO) is connected to the pre-SMA (Luppino et al. 1993;Gerbella, Borra, Rozzi, et al. 2016b;Ferrari et al. 2017;Albertini et al. 2020) while only its caudalmost part (macaque area DO) to a face/mouth region neighboring between the caudal premotor cortex and M1 (Gerbella et al. 2011;Gerbella, Borra, Rozzi, et al. 2016b;Ferrari et al. 2017). Albeit a possible explanation can be related to the higher resolution of neural tract-tracing technique, an intriguing, but most likely alternative is that such difference could be due to the phylogenetic development of the arcuate in our species for linguistic communication, as showed by Thiebaut de Schotten and collegues (2012) and Catani and Bambini (2014). ...
Laughter is a complex motor behavior occurring in both emotional and nonemotional contexts. Here, we investigated whether the different functions of laughter are mediated by distinct networks and, if this is the case, which are the white matter tracts sustaining them. We performed a multifiber tractography investigation placing seeds in regions involved in laughter production, as identified by previous intracerebral electrical stimulation studies in humans: the pregenual anterior cingulate (pACC), ventral temporal pole (TPv), frontal operculum (FO), presupplementary motor cortex, and ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens (VS/NAcc). The primary motor cortex (M1) and two subcortical territories were also studied to trace the descending projections. Results provided evidence for the existence of two relatively distinct networks. A first network, including pACC, TPv, and VS/NAcc, is interconnected through the anterior cingulate bundle, the accumbofrontal tract, and the uncinate fasciculus, reaching the brainstem throughout the mamillo-tegmental tract. This network is likely involved in the production of emotional laughter. A second network, anchored to FO and M1, projects to the brainstem motor nuclei through the internal capsule. It is most likely the neural basis of nonemotional and conversational laughter. The two networks interact throughout the pre-SMA that is connected to both pACC and FO.
... Similarly, areas 45 and 44 are thought in humans to project on to premotor cortical regions such as the supplementary motor area (Amunts and Zilles, 2012). Furthermore, area GrFO (an opercular part of area 45 in macaques) could represent a gateway for the access of limbic inputs from for example the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, about subjective values, emotional significance of stimuli or internal states, to the PMv area (ventral premotor area F5a) involved in selecting appropriate goaldirected hand and mouth/face actions (Gerbella et al., 2016). It is of interest that this occurs in the right hemisphere. ...
The orbitofrontal cortex extends into the laterally adjacent inferior frontal gyrus. We analyzed how voxel-level functional connectivity of the inferior frontal gyrus and orbitofrontal cortex is related to depression in 282 people with major depressive disorder (125 when unmedicated) and 254 controls, using FDR correction p < 0.05 for pairs of voxels. In the unmedicated group, higher functional connectivity was found of the right inferior frontal gyrus with voxels in the lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, temporal lobe, angular gyrus, precuneus, hippocampus and frontal gyri. In medicated patients these functional connectivities were lower and towards those in controls. Functional connectivities between the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the angular and middle frontal gyri were higher in unmedicated patients, and closer to controls in medicated patients. Medial orbitofrontal cortex voxels had lower functional connectivity with temporal cortex areas, the parahippocampal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus, and medication did not result in these being closer to controls. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the orbitofrontal cortex is involved in depression, and can influence mood and behavior via the right inferior frontal gyrus, which projects to premotor cortical areas.
... The heavy structural interconnections of subregions of IFG with the amygdala, OFC, temporal regions, and insula [223,278,343], which are commonly disrupted in ASD, likely lead to dysfunction of IFG. IFG participates in the representation and execution of expressive behaviors, as well as in syntax and in high-level cognitive processes [277,281,[344][345][346][347]. ...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a challenging neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms in social, language, sensory, motor, cognitive, emotional, repetitive behavior, and self-sufficient living domains. The important research question examined is the elucidation of the pathogenic neurocircuitry that underlies ASD symptomatology in all its richness and heterogeneity. The presented model builds on earlier social brain research, and hypothesizes that four social brain regions largely drive ASD symptomatology: amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), temporoparietal cortex (TPC), and insula. The amygdala’s contributions to ASD largely derive from its major involvement in fine-grained intangible knowledge representations and high-level guidance of gaze. In addition, disrupted brain regions can drive disturbance of strongly interconnected brain regions to produce further symptoms. These and related effects are proposed to underlie abnormalities of the visual cortex, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), caudate nucleus, and hippocampus as well as associated symptoms. The model is supported by neuroimaging, neuropsychological, neuroanatomical, cellular, physiological, and behavioral evidence. Collectively, the model proposes a novel, parsimonious, and empirically testable account of the pathogenic neurocircuitry of ASD, an extensive account of its symptomatology, a novel physiological biomarker with potential for earlier diagnosis, and novel experiments to further elucidate the mechanisms of brain abnormalities and symptomatology in ASD.
