BNST-insula structural connectivity in humans

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116555
• Publication Date: 2020-01-17T00:15:44Z
• Authors: Elizabeth A. Flook; Brandee Feola; Suzanne N. Avery; Danny G. Winder; Neil D. Woodward; Stephan Heckers; Jennifer Urbano B...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; 150; BNST; Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Sex Factors; 0302 clinical medicine; Anterior Insula; Humans; Cerebral Cortex; Sex Characteristics; Echo-Planar Imaging; Structural connectivity; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; DTI; Agranular insula; Female; Septal Nuclei; Nerve Net; RC321-571

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is emerging as a critical region in multiple psychiatric disorders including anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol substance use disorders. In conjunction with growing knowledge BNST, an increasing number studies examine connections BNST how those impact function. importance this network highlighted by rodent demonstrating that projections from other brain regions regulate activity influence BNST-related behavior. While many animal human replicate components network, to date, structural between insula have only been described rodents yet be shown humans. study, we used probabilistic tractography BNST-insula connectivity We two methods dividing insula: 1) anterior posterior insula, consistent much existing literature; 2) eight subregions represent informative cytoarchitectural divisions. found evidence connection humans, strongest localized anteroventral agranular cortex. differed hemisphere was moderated sex. These results translate findings humans lay important foundation for future examining role pathways