Neuroimaging study on brain asymmetries in situs inversus totalis

作者：Ihara Aya^*; Hirata Masayuki; Fujimaki Norio; Goto Tetsu; Umekawa Yuka; Fujita Norihiko; Terazono Yasushi; Matani Ayumu; Wei Qiang; Yoshimine Toshiki; Yorifuji Shiro; Murata Tsutomu

来源：Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 2010, 288(1-2): 72-78.

DOI：10.1016/j.jns.2009.10.002

• Situs inversus totalis
• Brain
• Asymmetry
• Function
• Anatomy
• Language
• Magnetoencephalography
• Magnetic resonance imaging

Situs inversus totalis (SI) is a rare condition in which all visceral organs are arranged as mirror images of the usual pattern. The objective of this study was to determine whether SI individuals have reversed brain asymmetries. We performed a neuroimaging study on 3 SI subjects and I I control individuals with normally arranged visceral organs. The language-dominant hemisphere was determined by magnetoencephalography. Left-hemispheric dominance was observed in I SI subject and all controls, whereas right-hemispheric dominance was observed in the remaining 2 SI subjects. Statistical analysis revealed that language dominance patterns in SI subjects were different from those in the controls, suggesting that the developmental mechanisms underlying visceral organ asymmetries are related to those underlying functional brain asymmetry. Anatomical brain asymmetries were determined by magnetic resonance imaging. SI subjects had the same planum temporale (PT) asymmetry pattern as the controls, but a reversed petalia asymmetry pattern. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) asymmetry pattern varied within both groups, indicating a relationship between the rightward IFG and right-hemispheric language dominance. These results suggest that the developmental mechanisms underlying visceral organ asymmetries are related to those underlying petalia asymmetry but not to those underlying PT and IFG asymmetries, and that brain asymmetries might develop via multiple region-dependent mechanisms.

• 出版日期2010-1-15