Vertical occipital fasciculus

Vertical Occipital Fasciculus

The Vertical Occipital Fasciculus (VOF) is a white matter fiber pathway in the human brain. It was first described in the 19th century by Wernicke and Dejerine, but was largely ignored in the neuroanatomical literature of the 20th century. Recent advances in diffusion MRI and fiber tractography have led to the rediscovery of this pathway.

The Vertical Occipital Fasciculus in the human brain.

Anatomy

The VOF connects the dorsal and ventral streams of the visual cortex. It is a large, vertically oriented fiber bundle located in the occipital lobe, running from the superior parietal lobule to the ventral occipito-temporal cortex. The VOF is unique among white matter tracts in that it runs perpendicular to the main anterior-posterior axis of the brain.

Function

The VOF is thought to play a crucial role in visual perception and cognition. It is involved in the integration of visual information, including object recognition, face perception, reading, and spatial cognition. Damage to the VOF can result in a variety of visual deficits, including alexia (difficulty reading), prosopagnosia (difficulty recognizing faces), and visual field defects.

Clinical Significance

Understanding the anatomy and function of the VOF has important implications for neurosurgery, particularly in operations involving the occipital lobe. Damage to the VOF during surgery can result in significant visual deficits. Therefore, preoperative mapping of the VOF using diffusion MRI and fiber tractography is recommended to minimize the risk of postoperative visual loss.

See Also

• Visual Cortex
• White Matter
• Diffusion MRI
• Fiber Tractography