Depicting the anatomy of the gyral white matter: ubi sumus? quo vadimus?

Abstract

Abstract A cerebral gyrus is made up of an external layer of folded cortex and an inner core of white matter. The architecture of the core has specific features that make it distinct from the white matter of the deep brain regions. Limited externally by the gray matter that covers the top of the gyrus and the neighboring sulci, this gyral white matter is made up of a mix of fiber populations with multiple directions and destinations. The presence of densely packed fibers with multiple crossings, the proximity to the cortex, and the existence of inter-regional and inter-individual variations make the task of depicting this microanatomy extremely challenging. The topic is, however, of paramount relevance for both fundamental and applied neurosciences. This fiber colocalization is crucial for the functional role of each cerebral region and is key to clinical manifestations in cases of parenchymal damage. As track tracing, imaging, and dissection are based on different biological or physical principles, it is natural for their results to sometimes be different, but they are often complementary. As the amount of available information increases, it becomes fragmented due to the multiplicity of methods, target phenomena, and studied species. In this scoping review, we present the key concepts and map the primary sources of evidence regarding identifying the fiber pathways that compose the gyral white matter, enabling the discussion of avenues for future research. The general pattern in which these pathways are distributed in the gyral white matter was detailed, and the main variations as a function of brain topography were explained and illustrated with typical examples.