New atlas maps the equine brain’s cortical surface
Bottom line
A new study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science describes a standardized, high-resolution, color-coded atlas of the equine cerebral cortex, built from dissections of 10 neurologically normal horses and labeled using Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria terminology. The atlas maps sulci and gyri across the lateral, dorsal, rostral, and medial cortical surfaces, and the authors report that major landmarks were consistently present across specimens, with most variation limited to sulcal depth and branching patterns. The work comes as equine neuroanatomy has remained comparatively under-described despite the horse’s highly folded cerebral cortex and the growing use of advanced imaging in equine medicine. (frontiersin.org)
Why it matters: For veterinarians, the atlas could make it easier to communicate about lesion location, interpret neuroimaging, and teach or review equine brain anatomy using a more standardized reference. That may be especially useful because prior literature has highlighted both the complexity of the equine cortex and the lack of comparable morphological references in horses, even as earlier MRI-based and stereotaxic atlases have begun to fill other gaps in equine brain mapping. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: The next step will be whether this surface atlas is incorporated into imaging, morphometric, and comparative neurology work, or paired with MRI-based tools to support clinical interpretation and research. (frontiersin.org)
Key facts
- Study type
- Standardized, high-resolution, color-coded atlas
- Species
- Equine
- Sample size
- 10 neurologically normal horses
- Terminology
- Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria
- Anatomy mapped
- Lateral, dorsal, rostral, and medial cortical surfaces
- Main finding
- Major sulci and gyri were consistently present across specimens
- Variation noted
- Most variation was in sulcal depth and branching patterns
- Journal
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science
A newly published study offers what its authors describe as a standardized, color-coded atlas of the equine cortical surface, giving veterinarians and researchers a more detailed map of the horse brain’s sulci and gyri. Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science in 2026, the work is based on 10 neurologically normal horses and uses Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria terminology to label structures across the lateral, dorsal, rostral, and medial surfaces of the cerebrum. (frontiersin.org)
The project addresses a longstanding problem in equine neuroanatomy: horses have a highly gyrencephalic brain, but detailed, standardized references for the cortical surface have been limited, and terminology has not always been applied consistently. Earlier publications have noted that the equine neopallium is more complex than that of carnivores and that major sulci can vary in their branching patterns, making orientation and comparison harder for clinicians, anatomists, and trainees. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
That gap has mattered more as equine brain imaging and atlas development have advanced. A 2019 stereotaxic population-average equine brain atlas helped establish MRI-based reference material for research and clinical use, and subsequent work has continued to build out vascular and structural references for the species. But those resources have not fully replaced the need for a practical, specimen-based surface anatomy guide that clinicians and educators can use when identifying cortical landmarks directly or correlating them with imaging findings. (frontiersin.org)
In the new paper, the authors report a consistent lateral cortical pattern centered on the Sylvian fissure, including an accessory Sylvian fissure at its origin, a three-limbed ectosylvian sulcus, a continuous suprasylvian sulcus, and a distinct oblique sulcus. On the dorsal surface, they describe the coronal, cruciate, and ansate sulci alongside a well-developed marginal complex. Medially, the atlas resolves the genual region into genual, endogenual, and ectogenual sulci, and identifies parallel callosal and cingulate sulci as well as a consistent splenial complex. Across the 10 brains, the authors found that the main sulci and gyri were reproducibly identifiable, with differences showing up mainly in depth and branching rather than overall presence or organization. (frontiersin.org)
Direct outside commentary on this specific paper appears limited so far, which is not unusual for a highly specialized anatomy study. Still, the broader field has emphasized the clinical value of atlas-building in veterinary neurology and radiology. Prior reporting from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine on animal brain atlas development framed these tools as a way to improve diagnostic orientation and interpretation, especially as advanced imaging becomes more central to veterinary practice. That perspective aligns with the new paper’s stated goal of supporting neuroimaging interpretation, anatomical orientation, and veterinary education. (vet.cornell.edu)
Why it matters: For equine practitioners, specialists, and educators, the immediate value is less about changing treatment tomorrow and more about improving the reference framework behind diagnosis, teaching, and research. Standardized cortical terminology can help when describing lesion location, comparing cases, discussing imaging findings with colleagues, or teaching residents and students. In a species where cortical folding is intricate and published references have historically been thinner than in dogs or cats, a clearly labeled surface atlas may also reduce ambiguity in case communication and support future work in morphometrics, development, and functional neuroanatomy. (frontiersin.org)
The study also fits into a broader trend toward more refined equine brain mapping. Existing MRI atlases, template resources, and newer vascular mapping studies suggest the field is building a layered toolkit rather than relying on any single reference. A gross-anatomy cortical atlas could become more useful if it is integrated with imaging datasets, digital teaching tools, or future lesion-localization studies in horses with neurologic disease. That’s an inference based on the direction of related atlas work, but it’s a plausible one. (frontiersin.org)
What to watch: The key question now is whether this atlas remains primarily an educational resource or becomes a working reference in equine neurology, radiology, and comparative brain research, particularly if future studies validate it against imaging-based localization or expand it with digital and morphometric applications. (frontiersin.org)