Three-Dimensional Probabilistic Atlas of the Human Orbitofrontal Sulci in Standardized Stereotaxic Space

A quantitative analysis of the variability of human orbitofrontal anatomical landmarks is required if one is to describe properly the location of functional or structural changes within this brain region. The present study investigated the orbitofrontal sulci in 100 normal adult human cerebral hemispheres using magnetic resonance images that were transformed into the standardized proportional stereotaxic space most commonly used, that of Talairach and Tournoux (1988). Four orbitofrontal sulci were identified and marked on each hemisphere: the olfactory, the medial, the lateral, and the transverse orbital sulci. Probability maps were then constructed for each sulcus. These maps provide a statistical description of the variability of the location of each orbitofrontal sulcus within the three-dimensional coordinate system of Talairach and Tournoux (1988). These probability maps may be directly compared with any image transformed into the same standardized space, providing a valuable tool for identifying and describing the location of functional or structural changes in the orbitofrontal region of the human brain.