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Abstract:
Functional specialization between the two hemispheres of the mammalian brain can be observed for distinct brain areas. Exploring the possible underlying general principle of a structural basis of this functional lateralization is a challeng- ing task. The auditory cortex being the brain’s central region of auditory process- ing shows such a hemispheric lateralization and thus, constitutes a convenient area to study structure-function relations in the brain. Motivated by recent find- ings based on functional data [1], this thesis aims to explore the microanatomical structure of the primary auditory cortex with a special focus on differences be- tween the two hemispheres. For that, I constructed a tailored (semi-) automated workflow and analysed three-dimensional microscopic structural data with sub- cellular resolution. Several pre-processing steps were included and the data was analysed towards orientational clues of myelinated structures and evaluated with statistical measures. The developed workflow can be found on github.
The established orientation analysis workflow of myelinated structures provides an easy incorporation of further data. For the herein analysed datasets, the dis- tinction of the left and right primary auditory cortex could be demonstrated. Ad- ditionally, the workflow allocated orientational clues to the respective cortical layer and position along physiological axes. Although this analysis of structural data could not show a direct link to the functional findings [1], I am confident that a preceding functional analysis in addition to the constructed workflow will im- prove our understanding of the structure-function relation regarding hemispheric specializations in the auditory cortex.
