Abstract
 

A translational quest for anatomical truth - Prefrontal connections to the VTA and their role in DBS for psychiatric disorders

The superolateral medial forebrain bundle (slMFB) is a promising target for DBS in major depression (MD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It connects distinct parts of the prefrontal cortex with the diencephalic-mesencephalic junction (DMJ). Understanding prefrontal cortex projections to DMJ, especially to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and ventral mesencephalic tegmentum (VMT) will help our comprehension of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in MD and OCD. Fiber routes are complex and tract tracing studies in non-human primate species (NHP) have yielded conflicting results. In this seminar we will deal with DMJ connectivity in humans, rodents and NHP with a special focus on slMFB and the limbic hyperdirect pathway utilizing three-dimensional and data driven techniques. We will touch upon networks relevant for OCD/MD and how they might be perturbed through DBS in different locations.