Fiber pathways of attention subnetworks revealed with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic tractography

Abstract

It has been widely accepted that attention can be divided into three subnetworks - alerting, orienting and executive control (EC), and the subnetworks of attention are linked to distinct brain regions. However, the association between specific white matter fibers and the subnetworks of attention is not clear enough. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the white matter connectivity related to the performance of attention was assessed by attention network test (ANT) in 85 healthy adolescents. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic diffusion tractography analysis demonstrated that cerebellothalamic tract was involved in alerting, while orienting depended upon the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). In addition, EC was under the control of anterior corona radiata (ACR). Our findings suggest that different fiber pathways are involved in the three distinct subnetworks of attention. The current study will yield more precise information about the structural substrates of attention function and may aid the efforts to understand the neurophysiology of several attention disorders.

Figure 1. The attention network task (ANT) paradigm.

(A)The three cue conditions in ANT. (B)The two target conditions in ANT. And (C) an example of the ANT paradigm: a spatial cue is presented followed by an incongruent target condition.

Figure 2. FA skeleton regions where alerting ratio scores showed a significant positive correlation with FA maps (p<0.05, corrected).

The region in red circle was identified as the left cerebellar Crus I and cingulum provided by FSL. The coordinates are in MNI standard space. R, right hemisphere.

Figure 3. FA skeleton regions where orienting ratio scores showed a significant positive correlation with FA maps (p<0.05, corrected).

The regions in red circle were identified as the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and white matter beneath the right precuneus and inferior frontal gyrus, respectively. The coordinates are in MNI standard space. R, right hemisphere."

Figure 4. FA skeleton regions where EC ratio scores showed a significant positive correlation with FA maps (p<0.05, corrected).

The region in red circle was identified as the right anterior corona radiata (ACR). The coordinates are in MNI standard space. R, right hemisphere.

Figure 5. Group probability map generated from the alerting-related region.

The red-yellow region was identified as cerebellothalamic tract. The green cluster was the seed mask located in the Crus I.

Figure 6. Group probability map generated from the orienting-related regions.

The red-yellow region was identified as superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The green cluster was the seed mask located in the right SLF.