An anatomical and connectivity atlas of the marmoset cerebellum

Abstract

The cerebellum is essential for motor control and cognitive functioning, engaging in bidirectional communication with the cerebral cortex. The common marmoset, a small non-human primate, offers unique advantages for studying cerebello-cerebral circuits. However, the marmoset cerebellum is not well described in published resources. In this study, we present a comprehensive atlas of the marmoset cerebellum comprising (1) fine-detailed anatomical atlases and surface-analysis tools of the cerebellar cortex based on ultra-high-resolution ex vivo MRI, (2) functional connectivity and gradient patterns of the cerebellar cortex revealed by awake resting-state fMRI, and (3) structural-connectivity mapping of cerebellar nuclei using high-resolution diffusion MRI tractography. The atlas elucidates the anatomical details of the marmoset cerebellum, reveals distinct gradient patterns of intra-cerebellar and cerebello-cerebral functional connectivity, and maps the topological relationship of cerebellar nuclei in cerebello-cerebral circuits. As version 5 of the Marmoset Brain Mapping project, this atlas is publicly available at https://marmosetbrainmapping.org/MBMv5.html.

Keywords: CP: Neuroscience; Callithrix jacchus; awake resting-state fMRI; brain atlas; cerebello-cerebral circuits; cerebellum; diffusion tractography; functional connectivity; functional gradient; surface analysis; ultra-high resolution.