Studying how the deepest regions of the brain contribute to brain activity
The brainstem is a structure which is crucial for survival and consciousness, yet it is typically excluded from live human brain mapping efforts due to the difficulties in recording and analysing activity in this small region which sits deep at the base of the brain. In this study, Justine Hansen, working in the laboratory of Bratislav Misic at McGill University, used high-resolution 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) alongside new brainstem-specific processing and acquisition protocols to better understand connections in and with this essential brain region. This work identified a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with the brain cortex. Specifically, they identified five modules of brainstem nuclei with distinct patterns of functional connectivity to the brain cortex related to memory, cognitive control, multisensory coordination, perception and movement, and emotion. These results push our understanding of brainstem functional neuroanatomy, such that the brainstem is no longer thought to simply be involved in basal functions but instead is recognized as an essential element of higher-order brain function.
Read the full story here: https://can-acn.org/brain-star-award-winner-justine-hansen-2/
Read the original research article here:
Hansen, J. Y., Cauzzo, S., Singh, K., García-Gomar, M. G., Shine, J. M., Bianciardi, M., & Misic, B. (2024). Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures. Nature Neuroscience, 1-12.