Forceps minor

Overview

The bilateral Forceps minor, also known as the anterior forceps of the corpus callosum, is a major interhemispheric white matter tract that originates from the genu of the corpus callosum and arches anteriorly into the frontal lobes. It comprises densely myelinated callosal fibers that cross the midline and connect homologous regions of the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex in both hemispheres, supporting integration of executive, emotional, and higher-order cognitive functions across the frontal lobes. In the JHU ICBM tracts maxprob thr25 2mm Atlas, the Forceps minor is delineated bilaterally as a distinct commissural bundle, reflecting its characteristic curved trajectory around the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles and its anatomical continuity with the genu of the corpus callosum. There is no direct link for Forceps minor; a related structure is the Corpus callosum.

The bilateral forceps minor, a major frontal callosal tract in the JHU ICBM tracts atlas, has been implicated in multiple imaging-genetics studies showing that common variants influence its microstructure, particularly fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of white matter integrity have identified associations between forceps minor metrics and loci near or within genes involved in myelination, axon guidance, and neurodevelopment (e.g., variants in or near genes such as NRG1, CNTNAP2, and genes in oligodendrocyte-related pathways), although specific hits vary across cohorts and often do not reach consistent genome-wide significance after replication. Polygenic risk for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder has been associated with reduced FA or altered diffusivity in the forceps minor, suggesting that shared genetic liability for these psychiatric conditions influences interhemispheric prefrontal connectivity. Additional GWAS and candidate-gene studies have linked forceps minor microstructure to cognitive traits (e.g., general cognitive ability, processing speed), neuroticism, and risk-related behaviors, indicating that genetically mediated variation in this tract may contribute to individual differences in executive function, emotion regulation, and vulnerability to mood and psychotic disorders.

Overview generated by GPT-4o (2026).

Region ID: 10
Hemisphere: bilateral
Atlas: JHU ICBM tracts maxprob thr25 2mm

Forceps minor – Black Background (Full Brain)

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Forceps minor – White Background (Full Brain)

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Triplanar View – T1 Background

Triplanar View – Ghost Brain