Anatomy and white matter connections of the fusiform gyrus
Ali H. Palejwala, Kyle P. O’Connor, Camille K. Milton, Chris Anderson, Panayiotis E. Pelargos, Robert G. Briggs, Andrew K. Conner, Daniel L. OʼDonoghue, Chad A. Glenn, Michael E. Sughrue
Abstract
The fusiform gyrus is understood to be involved in the processing of high-order visual information, particularly related to faces, bodies, and stimuli characterized by high spatial frequencies. A detailed understanding of the exact location and nature of associated white-tracts could significantly improve post-operative morbidity related to declining capacity. Through generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) validated by gross dissection as a direct anatomical method of identifying white matter tracts, we have characterized these connections based on relationships to other well-known structures. We created the white matter tracts using GQI and confirmed the tracts using gross dissection. These dissections demonstrated connections to the occipital lobe from the fusiform gyrus along with longer association fibers that course through this gyrus. The fusiform gyrus is an important region implicated in such tasks as the visual processing of human faces and bodies, as well as the perception of stimuli with high spatial frequencies. Post-surgical outcomes related to this region may be better understood in the context of the fiber-bundle anatomy highlighted by this study.