Evaluation of volumetric asymmetry of cerebrum gray matter and subcortical structures using volBrain in healthy individuals

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26th National Anatomy Congress, Isparta, Türkiye, 27 - 30 Ağustos 2026, cilt.20, sa.2, ss.74, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Cilt numarası: 20
  • Doi Numarası: 10.2399/ana.26.002s
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Isparta
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.74
  • Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: Volumetric asymmetry between the right and left hemispheres of the brain serves as a potential biomarker for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to investigate the right-left volumetric asymmetry of the cerebrum gray matter and various subcortical structures in healthy individuals using volBrain. Methods: Twenty-four healthy individuals (17 males, 7 females; age: 20–64 years, mean: 38.8±14.1 years) accessed from the OpenNeuro open source database (ID: ds004302) were included following institutional ethics committee approval. Participant 3- Tesla T1-weighted MRIs were processed using volBrain. Data normality was assessed via the Shapiro-Wilk test. Paired samples t-test (effect size: Cohen’s d) and Wilcoxon signed-rank test (effect size: Rank-Biserial Correlation, r) were used for normal and non-normal distributions, respectively (p<0.05). Results: The volume of the cerebrum gray matter was significantly higher on the right side (right: 328.60 cm³, left: 323.00 cm³, p<0.001, r=0.84). Conversely, the putamen (left: 4.28 cm³, right: 4.11 cm³, p<0.001, r=0.96), thalamus (left: 6.01 cm³, right: 5.87 cm³, p=0.001, d=0.75), and nucleus accumbens (left: 0.37 cm³, right: 0.31 cm³, p<0.001, d=1.05) exhibited significantly larger volumes on the left side. No significant asymmetry was detected in the remaining structures (cerebellum, caudate, hippocampus, amygdala, globus pallidus, and lateral ventricles). Conclusion: Subcortical structures exhibit distinct lateralization patterns in healthy individuals. The robust left lateralization observed in the nucleus accumbens (d=1.05) may serve as a normative reference for investigating neuropsychiatric diseases associated with the reward system. The volBrain platform is a reliable tool for volumetric asymmetry studies.

Keywords: brain asymmetry, volBrain, accumbens nucleus, volumetric MRI, subcortical structures