Morphology of the lateral ventricles of the brain using high-resolution MRI
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
The lateral ventricles are crucial neuroanatomical structures with significant clinical relevance in various pathologies. Despite extensive work, there is still disagreement about the basic anatomical features of the lateral ventricle in terms of left-right asymmetry, the influence of sex, and the presence of anatomical variations. These disagreements are likely to be a result of studies performed using poorly characterized subject populations and using low-resolution data. To address this gap in knowledge, this study measured lateral ventricular morphology using 174 high-resolution MRI scans from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), focusing on a diverse population of well-characterized healthy, young individuals. We found significant left-right differences in ventricular dimensions, with the left ventricle consistently larger than the right across all subdivisions, including the anterior horn, body, and atrium to the end of the posterior horn. Sex emerged as a crucial determinant, with males exhibiting larger ventricles overall, and significant differences were observed in various subdivisions between sexes. Unexpectedly, we found that the compression of the anterior horn and the disconnection and isolation of the posterior horn were frequently identified in a large and broadly represented proportion of healthy adult subjects, challenging traditional notions of ventricular anatomy. Moreover, our investigation into handedness and age yielded nuanced insights, highlighting the intricate interplay between demographic factors and ventricular morphology. Our results provide valuable insights into normal lateral ventricular anatomy, facilitating the interpretation of radiological images and aiding in the recognition of pathological deviations. Addressing these considerations in future research has the potential to deepen our understanding of ventricular morphology and its clinical implications, thereby potentially advancing our knowledge of brain structure and function.
Description
2024
License
Attribution 4.0 International