Probabilistic Coverage of the Frontal Aslant Tract in Young Adults: Insights into Individual Variability, Lateralization, and Language Functions

Abstract

The frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a crucial neural pathway of language and speech, but little is known about its connectivity and segmentation differences across populations. In this study, we utilized diffusion MRI automatic tractography to investigate the probabilistic coverage of the FAT in a large sample of 1065 young adults. Our primary goal was to reveal individual variability and lateralization of FAT and its structure-function correlations in language processing. Our results showed that the left anterior FAT exhibited the most substantial individual differences, particularly in the superior and middle frontal gyrus, with greater variability in the superior than the inferior region. Furthermore, we found significant left lateralization in FAT, with a greater difference in innervation coverage in the inferior and posterior portions. Additionally, our analysis revealed a significant correlation between the size of left FAT inferior innervation areas and Picture Vocabulary function, highlighting the structural and functional importance of the left FAT in language processing. In comparison, the anisotropy of FAT did not show significant correlation. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into individual and population differences in FAT connectivity and segmentation and sheds light on its critical role in language functions.