Anatomy and White Matter Connections of the Inferior Temporal Gyrus.

ABSTRACT Introduction The inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) is known to be involved in high-cognitive functions, including visual and language comprehensions and emotion regulation. A detailed understanding of the nature of association fibres could significantly improve post-operative morbidity related to declining capacity. Through DSI-based fibre tracking, we have characterized these connections based on their relationships to other cortical areas. Methods Diffusion imaging from 10 healthy adults of the Human Connectome Project were randomly selected and used for tractography analysis. We evaluated the ITG as a whole based on connectivity with other regions. All ITG tracts were mapped in both hemispheres, and a lateralization index was calculated with resultant tract volumes. Results We identified five major connections of the ITG: U-fibre, inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF), arcuate fasciculus (AF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF). There was no fibre lateralization detected. Conclusions This study highlights the principal white-matter pathways of the ITG and demonstrates key underlying connections. We present a summary of the relevant clinical anatomy for this region of the cerebrum as part of a larger effort to understand it in its entirety.