Functional anatomy of subcortical circuits issuing from or integrating at the human brainstem

The functional organization of the main human brainstem centers and circuits are described as revealed in post-mortem material with high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) acquired at ultra-high magnetic field 7 T. The description is complemented with a conventional in vivo fiber tracking study of the descending motor pathways. This type of neuroanatomic depiction of nuclei and nerve tracts at very high spatial resolution opens new possibilities to analyze the fine structure and circuits of the human brainstem, at least in post-mortem material.

► High-resolution MRI allows for the analysis of human brainstem microstructure.
► Diffusion tensor imaging at 7 T improves the characterization of the brainstem white matter organization.
► These techniques can be useful in research, diagnostic and therapeutic studies on the human brainstem.