About this Research Topic
The brain is an interconnected network of unique regions, differentiated by their location, the arrangement of distinct neurons and glia, the neurotransmitters or neuropeptides they produce, and other features.
So why do some regions (e.g., the basal ganglia) and some neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine) remain at the forefront of neuroscience research, interest, and recognition? In the literature, an imbalance exists as some regions and neurotransmitters are highly represented, while others are neglected. Surely, the entire brain and all of its many interactions are relevant for a better understanding of the brain in health and disease?
As an historical example, the cerebellum was once considered a purely a motor structure. The theoretical work initiated by Henrietta C. Leiner, and later confirmed empirically through the detailed anatomical studies conducted by Peter L. Strick and Jeremy D. Schmahmann, has unequivocally demonstrated the non-motor functions of the cerebellum.
Another example is the vertical occipital fasciculus, a white matter track involved in visual perception, attention and movement, which has been overlooked for over a century. Yet in 2014, a team led by Brian A. Wandell published a study describing modern, in vivo methods specifically delineating this pathway’s cortical terminations and unique tissue properties.
This Research Topic is meant to highlight frequently overlooked brain regions or novel functions of better-studied brain regions. We will welcome Original Research (or Brief Research Report), Reviews (Mini Review) and Methods focusing on experimental (functional or structural studies) and computational approaches. Contributing authors are welcome to share their research ranging in scope from the involvement of the cerebellum in addiction, to the brain regions involved in orgasm. The unifying theme of topic is brain structures or functions generally under reported in the literature. The overarching goal is to collect the latest discoveries regarding “obscure” brain regions, thereby affirming the incalculable complexity of the brain.
Brain regions not yet covered but that would be of interest to the Editors of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:
• superior colliculus;
• claustrum;
• olfactory tubercle;
• parabrachial nucleus;
• zona incerta;
• substantia innominate;
• retrosplenial cortex;
• enteric nervous system;
• vertical occipital fasciculus.
So why do some regions (e.g., the basal ganglia) and some neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine) remain at the forefront of neuroscience research, interest, and recognition? In the literature, an imbalance exists as some regions and neurotransmitters are highly represented, while others are neglected. Surely, the entire brain and all of its many interactions are relevant for a better understanding of the brain in health and disease?
As an historical example, the cerebellum was once considered a purely a motor structure. The theoretical work initiated by Henrietta C. Leiner, and later confirmed empirically through the detailed anatomical studies conducted by Peter L. Strick and Jeremy D. Schmahmann, has unequivocally demonstrated the non-motor functions of the cerebellum.
Another example is the vertical occipital fasciculus, a white matter track involved in visual perception, attention and movement, which has been overlooked for over a century. Yet in 2014, a team led by Brian A. Wandell published a study describing modern, in vivo methods specifically delineating this pathway’s cortical terminations and unique tissue properties.
This Research Topic is meant to highlight frequently overlooked brain regions or novel functions of better-studied brain regions. We will welcome Original Research (or Brief Research Report), Reviews (Mini Review) and Methods focusing on experimental (functional or structural studies) and computational approaches. Contributing authors are welcome to share their research ranging in scope from the involvement of the cerebellum in addiction, to the brain regions involved in orgasm. The unifying theme of topic is brain structures or functions generally under reported in the literature. The overarching goal is to collect the latest discoveries regarding “obscure” brain regions, thereby affirming the incalculable complexity of the brain.
Brain regions not yet covered but that would be of interest to the Editors of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:
• superior colliculus;
• claustrum;
• olfactory tubercle;
• parabrachial nucleus;
• zona incerta;
• substantia innominate;
• retrosplenial cortex;
• enteric nervous system;
• vertical occipital fasciculus.
Keywords: Cerebellum, Inferior Colliculus, Dorsal Peduncular Area, Orgasm
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
