Correlative study on the sectional anatomy of inferior frontal sulcus in human brain

ObjectiveTo explore the morphological characteristics, bilateral and gender differences of the inferior frontal sulcus(IFS) in right-handed healthy adults, and provide the anatomical reference for the function study of Broca's area.

MethodsThe transverse, coronal and sagittal planes of MRI images of 80 unilateral IFS in 40 right-handed healthy adults brain were statistically analyzed, and which was used to investigate the bilateral and gender differences.

ResultsThe difference of the transverse layer number of IFS between two genders was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The Y value of right IFS was greater than that of left IFS in female, and the differences of the right Y value among other layers except for Z=18 mm layer were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The X value of left and right IFS in male was greater than that in female, and the differences of the X value at Z=2-10 mm, 14-16 mm and 20-26 mm layers of right IFS, and Z=2 mm, 10-16 mm and 24-30 mm layers of left IFS between male and female were statistically significant(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).At Z=18-20 mm and Z=24 mm layers of left IFS, the Y value in male was greater than that in female(P < 0.01), and the differences of the Y value of other layers of left IFS between female and male were not statistically significant(P>0.05).

ConclusionsThe closer to the brain middle axis the IFS, the smaller the acquired developmental variability of IFS is, and the larger the variabilities of IFS at the direction of forward-backward and left-right are.