TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subcortical 1.
2.
Overview
Commissural and Projection Fibers
3. Association Fibers
White Matter 4. Practice Questions
REVIEW OUTLINE

● Commissural Fibers:

Subcortical ○
○
Corpus callosum
Forceps major

White Matter
○ Forceps minor
○ Anterior commissure
○ Posterior commissure
● Projection Fibers
○ Corona Radiata
○ Internal capsule
■ Anterior limb, genu and posterior limbs
○ External capsule
○ Cerebral peduncles
● Association Fibers
○ Short association fibers
○ Long association fibers
■ Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus
■ Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus
■ Uncinate Fasciculus
■ Arcuate Fasciculus
■ Inferior Occipitofrontal Fasciculus
 Mini Case Study Bootcamp.com

A 37 year old patient presents complaining of

difficulties speaking. After initial testing you deduce
that they have intact auditory comprehension,
coherent (yet paraphasic) speech production, but
poor speech repetition. You order an MRI scan with
DTI to confirm your diagnosis.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arcuate_Fasciculus.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brain_MRI_t2_142301.png
Learning Outcomes Bootcamp.com

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Describe what white matter is composed of
2. Classify fiber tracts into 1 of 3 categories
3. Identify specific fiber tracts on a dissected brain
What is White Matter? Bootcamp.com

Myelinated axons extending from cell bodies

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Derived_Neuron_schema_with_no_labels.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_matter_axonal_connectivity.jpg#filelin
ks
White Matter Classifications Bootcamp.com

Three Types of Fibers:

1. Commissural fibers
2. Projection fibers
3. Association fibers

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_matter_axonal_connectivity.jpg#filelin
ks
 Commissural Fibers Bootcamp.com

Connect the two cerebral hemispheres

● Corpus Callosum:
○ Rostrum
○ Genu
○ Body
○ Splenium

Coronal Sagittal
 Commissural Fibers Bootcamp.com

● Anterior Commissure
● Posterior Commissure
● Forceps Major
● Forceps Minor

Sagittal Horizontal
 Projection Fibers Bootcamp.com

Ascending and descending tracts carrying

information between cerebral cortex and
brainstem/spinal cord.

● Corona radiata
● Internal and external capsules
● Cerebral peduncles

Coronal
Projection Fibers Bootcamp.com

Internal Capsule
● Anterior limb
● Genu
● Posterior Limb

Horizontal
 Association Fibers Bootcamp.com

Connect different areas within the

same hemisphere.

● Short association fibers -

connect adjacent gyri
● Long association fibers -
connect different lobes

https://snappygoat.com/s/?q=bestof%3AGray727+sulcus+of+the+corpus+callosum.svg+sulcus+of+the+corpus+callosum+File+Gray727+svg+2009-10-25+Gray+thumb+left+100px+original+Sulcus+neuroanatomy+Cingulate#,2,93.
 Long Association Fibers Bootcamp.com

● Cingulum - found along the midline,

connecting the cingulate to the
parahippocampal gyrus

Sagittal (Cingulate Gyrus Removed)

Long Association Fibers Bootcamp.com

Superficial

● Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus

● Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus
● Uncinate Fasciculus
● Arcuate Fasciculus
● Inferior Occipitofrontal Fasciculus
Deep
 Mini Case Study Bootcamp.com

A 37 year old patient presents complaining of

difficulties speaking. After initial testing you deduce
that they have intact auditory comprehension,
coherent (yet paraphasic) speech production, but
poor speech repetition. You order an MRI scan with
DTI to confirm your diagnosis.

What is your diagnosis?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arcuate_Fasciculus.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brain_MRI_t2_142301.png
Mini Case Study Bootcamp.com

Conduction Aphasia (associative

aphasia)

● Lesion in the deep parietal cortex,

deep to wernicke’s area

● Causing damage to the arcuate

fasciculus (in this case)

● Disrupting communication
between the wernicke’s (language
comprehension) and broca’s
(language production) areas

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1605_Brocas_and_Wernickes_Areas-02.jpg
Practice Questions Bootcamp.com

1. Identify fiber tract A

1. Classify fiber tract B.

B

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comparison_between_anatomic_dissections_using_the_fiber_dissection_technique_and_tractography_PMC3640224_figure_F4.j
pg
MRI Bootcamp.com

1. Identify fiber tract A.

A
1. Identify fiber tract B and its
classification.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mild_encephalitis_with_reversible_lesion_in_the_splenium_6jm_Noro-MRT_T2_FLAIR_T1KM_ax_-_001.jpg
Practice Questions Bootcamp.com

1. Identify fiber tract A.

B

1. Classify fiber tract B.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comparison_between_anatomic_dissections_using_the_fiber_dissection_technique_and_tractography_PMC3640224_figure_F4.j
pg
Summary Bootcamp.com

● White matter is made up of myelinated axons

● Fiber tracts are classified into:
○ Commissural fibers - connect the two hemispheres across midline
○ Projection fibers - ascending and descending tracts connecting upper and lower neurons
○ Association fibers - connect different areas within a cerebral hemisphere
■ Short association fibers - connect adjacent gyri
■ Long association fibers - connect different lobes of the brain
● Identifiable structures:
● Commissural Fibers: ● Projection Fibers ● Association Fibers
○ Corpus callosum ○ Corona Radiata ○ Short association fibers
○ Forceps major ○ Internal capsule ○ Long association fibers
■ Anterior limb, genu and ■ Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus
○ Forceps minor
■ Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus
○ Anterior commissure posterior limbs
■ Uncinate Fasciculus
○ Posterior commissure ○ Cerebral peduncles ■ Arcuate Fasciculus
REVIEW OUTLINE

● Commissural Fibers:

Subcortical ○
○
Corpus callosum
Forceps major

White Matter
○ Forceps minor
○ Anterior commissure
○ Posterior commissure
● Projection Fibers
○ Corona Radiata
○ Internal capsule
■ Anterior limb, genu and posterior limbs
○ External capsule
○ Cerebral peduncles
● Association Fibers
○ Short association fibers
○ Long association fibers
■ Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus
■ Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus
■ Uncinate Fasciculus
■ Arcuate Fasciculus
■ Inferior Occipitofrontal Fasciculus