Brain anatomy

This page is a dumping ground for anatomical terms that come up in conversation with neuroscientists, phrased (hopefully!) in a way that CS people can understand them. Click a tract name for specific information, including instructions for segmenting the tract out of a tractogram in Brainapp.

A sagittal section of a human brain. Click this image for a high-res version in which you can see the annotations.

Corpus Callosum (CC)

The large tract connecting the hemispheres. In a mid-sagittal cutting plane, it looks like a letter C turned on its side, with the tips pointing inferior.

Genu

The anterior part of the CC, where it bends back on itself. "Genu" means "knee".

Splenium

The posterior part of the CC.

Rostrum

The part of the CC inferior and posterior to the genu.

Forceps major / forceps posterior

The posterior projection of the CC (from the splenium) into the occipital lobe. In a transverse cutting plane, it looks like a letter C at the posterior portion of the brain with the tips pointing posterior.

Forceps minor / forceps anterior

The anterior projection of the CC (from the genu) into the cerebrum. In a transverse cutting plane, it looks like a letter C at the anterior portion of the brain with the tips pointing anterior. In other words, it looks sort of like a pair of mandibles over the eyes.

Corona radiata

A fan-shaped sheet of WM that radiates from the brain stem superior to the cortex.

Superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF)

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Cingulum

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Corticospinal tract (CST)

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Fornix

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External Links

• Anatomical directions and anatomical planes on Wikipedia
• Biology-Online dictionary --- search for text descriptions of terms
• U. Arkansas neuroanatomy atlas images
• Radiopaedia --- a wiki encyclopedia for radiology; search for articles