PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sitek, Kevin Richard AU - Gulban, Omer Faruk AU - Calabrese, Evan AU - Johnson, G. Allan AU - Lage-Castellanos, Agustin AU - Moerel, Michelle AU - Ghosh, Satrajit S. AU - De Martino, Federico TI - Mapping the human subcortical auditory system using histology, post mortem MRI and in vivo MRI at 7T AID - 10.1101/568139 DP - 2019 Jan 01 TA - bioRxiv PG - 568139 4099 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/06/04/568139.short 4100 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/06/04/568139.full AB - Studying the human subcortical auditory system non-invasively is challenging due to its small, densely packed structures deep within the brain. Additionally, the elaborate three-dimensional (3-D) structure of the system can be difficult to understand based on currently available 2-D schematics and animal models. We addressed these issues using a combination of histological data, post mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and in vivo MRI at 7 Tesla. We created anatomical atlases based on state-of-the-art human histology (BigBrain) and post mortem MRI (50 μm). We measured functional MRI (fMRI) responses to natural sounds and demonstrate that the functional localization of subcortical structures is reliable within individual participants who were scanned in two different experiments. Further, a group functional atlas derived from the functional data locates these structures with a median distance below 2mm. Using diffusion MRI tractography, we revealed structural connectivity maps of the human subcortical auditory pathway both in vivo (1050 μm isotropic resolution) and post mortem (200 μm isotropic resolution). This work captures current MRI capabilities for investigating the human subcortical auditory system, describes challenges that remain, and contributes novel, openly available data, atlases, and tools for researching the human auditory system.Anatomical abbreviationsAVCNAnteroventral cochlear nucleus.CNCochlear nucleus.CNVIII8th nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve.DCNDorsal cochclear nucleus.ICInferior colliculus.LGNLateral geniculate nucleus.LSOLateral superior olive.MGB/MGNMedial geniculate body/nucleus.MNTBMedial nucleus of the trapezoid body.MSOMedial superior olive.PVCNPosteroventral cochlear nucleus.SOCSuperior olivary complex.7T7 Tesla.dMRIdiffusion magnetic resonance imaging.FOVField of view.fMRIfunctional magnetic resonance imaging.GRAPPAGeneralized auto-calibrating partially parallel acquisitions.MBMulti-band.MPRAGEMagnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo.MRIMagnetic resonance imaging.PDwProton density weighted.SI-T1wShort inversion time T1-weighted.T1wT1-weighted.T2*wT2*-weighted.TEEcho time.TRRepetition time.CSDConstrained spherical deconvolution.FAFractional anisotropy.FDRFalse discovery rate.FODFiber orientation distribution.GLMGeneral linear model.HCPHuman connectome project.HRFHemodynamic response function.ICBMInternation Consortium for Brain Mapping.M0T2 signal with no diffusion weighting.MDMean diffusivity.MNIMontreal Neurological Institude.MSMTMulti-shell multi-tissue.ODFsOrientation distribution functions.ROIRegion of interest.