Myeloarchitectonic Maps of Cat Auditory Cortex

The cerebral cortex contains myriad cortical areas that differ in structure, function, and connectivity. Current methods of delineating cortical structures and their subregions are insufficient for in vivo applications, either being highly invasive or requiring a detailed knowledge of a region’s tuning properties. To address this, we seek to establish a structural biomarker capable of delineating the cortex that possesses a non-invasive correlate. We explore myelin as a potential candidate by evaluating its efficacy in parcellating the feline auditory cortex through the generation of depthwise myelin density profiles for each of the 13 auditory cortical subregions. Our analyses revealed significant differences between several auditory cortical subregions, as well as significant correlations between both processing complexity and cortical depth with myelin content. By establishing myelin as a useful biomarker for cortical parcellation, we hope to better describe the brain regions and networks that underlie complex human behaviours and reorganized function