Investigating the sub-regions of the superior parietal cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity

OBJECTIVES: Traditionally, the superior parietal lobule (SPL) is usually investigated as one region of interest, particularly in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. However, cytoarchitectonic analysis has shown that the SPL has a complex, heterogeneous topology that comprises more than seven sub-regions. Since previous studies have shown how the SPL is significantly involved in different neurological functions—such as visuomotor, cognitive, sensory, higher order, working memory and attention—this study aims to investigate whether these cytoarchitecturally different sub-regions have different functional connectivity to different functional brain networks. METHODS: This study examined 198 healthy subjects using resting-state fMRI and investigated the functional connectivity of seven sub-regions of the SPL to eight regional functional networks. RESULTS: The findings showed that most of the seven sub-regions were functionally connected to these targeted networks and that there are differences between these sub-regions and their functional connectivity patterns. The most consistent functional connectivity was observed with the visual and attention networks. There were also clear functional differences between Brodmann area (BA) 5 and BA7. BA5, with its three sub-regions, had strong functional connectivity to both the sensorimotor and salience networks. CONCLUSION: These findings have enhanced our understanding of the functional organisations of the complexity of the SPL and its varied topology and also provide clear evidence of the functional patterns and involvements of the SPL in major brain functions.