• World Neurosurg · May 2023

    Frontal Aslant Tract (FAT) and its role in language: A journey through tractographies and dissections.

    • Catena BaudoMelanieMLiving Anatomy Laboratory, Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: catenamelanie1@gmail.com., Facundo Villamil, Pablo Sebastían Paolinelli, Nicolás Cristian Domenech, Andres Cervio, Lucía Alba Ferrara, and Mariana Bendersky.
    • Living Anatomy Laboratory, Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: catenamelanie1@gmail.com.
    • World Neurosurg. 2023 May 1; 173: e738e747e738-e747.

    BackgroundThe frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a bilateral tract located within each frontal lobe. It connects the supplementary motor area in the superior frontal gyrus with the pars opercularis in the inferior frontal gyrus. There is a new and broader conceptualization of this tract called the extended FAT (eFAT). The eFAT tract role is believed to be related to several brain functions, including verbal fluency as one of its main domains.MethodsTractographies were performed by using DSI Studio software on a template of 1065 healthy human brains. The tract was observed in a three-dimensional plane. The Laterality Index was calculated based on the length, volume, and diameter of fibers. A t test was performed to verify the statistical significance of global asymmetry. The results were compared with cadaveric dissections performed according to the Klingler technique. An illustrative case enlightens the neurosurgical application of this anatomic knowledge.ResultsThe eFAT communicates the superior frontal gyrus with the Broca area (within the left hemisphere) or its contralateral homotopic area within the nondominant hemisphere. We measured the commisural fibers, traced cingulate, striatal, and insular connections and showed the existence of new frontal projections as part of the main structure. The tract did not show a significant asymmetry between the hemispheres.ConclusionsThe tract was successfully reconstructed, focusing on its morphology and anatomic characteristics.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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