A new area in the human brain associated with learning and memory: immunohistochemical and functional MRI analysis

• Published in: Molecular psychiatry Vol. 7; no. 9; pp. 1018 - 1022
• Main Authors: SHU, S. Y, WU, Y. M, BAO, X. M, WEN, Z. B, HUANG, F. H, LI, S. X, FU, Q. Z, NING, Q
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.01.2002
• Subjects: Adult; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Basal Nucleus of Meynert - cytology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain mapping; Child; Female; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunoreactivity; Investigations; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Learning; Learning - physiology; Limbic system; Limbic System - cytology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Memory; Memory - physiology; Mental task performance; Monoamines; Neostriatum; Neostriatum - cytology; Neostriatum - physiology; Nervous system; Neural Pathways; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroimaging; Neurons - chemistry; Neuropeptides; Neurotransmitters; Nucleus basalis; Prefrontal cortex; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - analysis; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Rats; Short term memory; Structure-function relationships; Tropical medicine; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Healthy subject; Memory; Magnetic resonance; Volunteer; Higher nervous function; Postmortem; Learning; Case study; Adult; Clinical investigation; Child; Brain (vertebrata); Functional imaging
• ISSN: 1359-4184; 1476-5578
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001155

Previous studies identified a new brain area, the marginal division (MrD), at the caudomedial border of the neostriatum in the brain of the rat, cat and monkey. The MrD was distinguishable from the rest of the striatum by the presence of spindle-shaped neurons, specific connections, and dense immunoreactivity for neuropeptides and monoamines in fibers, terminals and neuronal somata. Behavioral testing demonstrated that the MrD contributes to learning and memory in the rat. In the present study, the structure and the function of the MrD were investigated in the human brain. The presence of spindle-shaped neurons and the distribution of neurotransmitters in the MrD were evaluated by immunocytochemical methods. The function of the MrD was identified with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of healthy volunteers tested with an auditory digital working memory task. Highly active areas were observed in the prefrontal cortex and MrD with left sided predominance during performance of the task, but other parts of the neostriatum were not excited and the MrD was not activated in a control test of non-working memory. The results of the present investigation therefore indicate the existence of a new area associated with learning and memory function in the human brain. The MrD probably plays an important role in the execution of digital working memory and appears to link the limbic system and the basal nucleus of Meynert. The MrD may also be involved in the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease.