Structural mapping with fiber tractography of the human cuneate fasciculus at microscopic resolution in cervical region

Abstract

Human spinal white matter tract anatomy has been mapped using post mortem histological information with the help of molecular tracing studies in animal models. This study used 7 Tesla diffusion MR tractography on a human cadaver that was harvested 24 hours post mortem to evaluate cuneate fasciculus anatomy in cervical spinal cord. Based on this method, for the first time much more nuanced tractographic anatomy was used to investigate possible new routes for cuneate fasciculus in the posterior and lateral funiculus. Additionally, current molecular tracing studies were reviewed, and confirmatory data was presented along with our radiological results. Both studies confirm that upon entry to the spinal cord, upper cervical level tracts (C1-2-3) travel inside lateral funiculus and lower level tracts travel medially inside the posterior funiculus after entry at posterolateral sulcus which is different than traditional knowledge of having cuneate fasciculus tracts concentrated in the lateral part of posterior funiculus.