Abstract
The full range of basal ganglia functions is still uncertain, but they are principally concerned with the release and suppression of cortically generated movements. They are phylogenetically old, being present in all vertebrates including the reptiles, which have essentially no neocortex. It is likely therefore that their function was originally related to aspects of motivation and homeostasis, mediated by the allocortex (limbic cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus). More recently, they have become closely associated with the neocortex (frontal sensory and motor cortices) and therefore provide a link between cognitive processes and movement.
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Abbreviations
- CM:
-
Centromedial nucleus of the thalamus
- GABA:
-
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
- GPe:
-
Globus pallidus external compartment
- GPi:
-
Globus pallidus internal compartment
- l-DOPA:
-
l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine a metabolic precursor of dopamine
- MD:
-
Mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus
- MPTP:
-
1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine
- NMDA:
-
N-methyl-d-aspartic acid or N-methyl-d-aspartate
- SNpc:
-
Substantia nigra pars compacta
- SNpr:
-
Substantia nigra pars reticulata
- STN:
-
Subthalamic nucleus
- VA:
-
Ventroanterior nucleus of the thalamus
- VL:
-
Ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus
Further Reading
Alexander GE, DeLong MR, Strick PL (1986) Parallel organization of functionally segregated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex. Ann Rev Neurosci 9:357–381
Barroso-Chinea P, Bezard E (2010) Basal Ganglia circuits underlying the pathophysiology of levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Front Neuroanat 4(pii):131
Guridi J, Obeso JA (2001) The subthalamic nucleus, hemiballismus and Parkinson’s disease: reappraisal of a neurosurgical dogma. Brain 124(Pt 1):5–19
Krack P, Hariz MI, Baunez C, Guridi J, Obeso JA (2010) Deep brain stimulation: from neurology to psychiatry? Trends Neurosci 33:474–484
Nambu A (2008) Seven problems on the basal ganglia. Curr Opin Neurobiol 18(6):595–604
Schultz W, Tremblay L, Hollerman JR (2003) Changes in behavior-related neuronal activity in the striatum during learning. Trends Neurosci 26(6):321–328
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Miall, R.C. (2013). Basal Ganglia: Basic Principles. In: Pfaff, D.W. (eds) Neuroscience in the 21st Century. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1997-6_37
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1997-6_37
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1996-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1997-6
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