Anatomical investigation of the interthalamic adhesion

Abstract

Due to the lack of literature investigating the function of the interthalamic adhesion (IA), uncertainty surrounds its significance and clinical importance within the brain. However, existing literature has been able to show a physical anatomical correlation with neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia. Only recently have studies provided limited insight into the role of the IA in the neural network of the brain, thus opening new avenues of investigation that will further our understanding of the neuroanatomy and the associated clinical implications. The aim of this study was to conduct a descriptive, observational cross-sectional investigation of the IA in a sample of the South African population. This anatomical investigation included reports on the prevalence, location, shape, size and area of the IA and further correlated these factors with age and sexual dimorphism. In addition, this study included a histological investigation of the neuron arrangement within the IA to observe a possible implication of cell architecture for IA function. This study used a sample of human brains dissected from bodies donated to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria. Digital photography of midsagittal brain sections and scientific image-processing software (ImageJ) was used to generate the necessary measurements. The data collected in this study was compared to known literature on the IA, noting the differences and similarities. The significance of the results was reported on. This study provided an anatomical foundation on which to conduct further functional investigation in research of the IA within the human brain and provided a novel look into the histology of the IA and surrounding periventricular region (PVR).