Basal Ganglia

Basal ganglia are a subgroup of subcortical nuclei that occur in the brain of vertebrates. They are located at the base of the forebrain and the top of the midbrain. Basal ganglia connect the cerebral cortex, thalamus, brainstem, and several other brain areas. In addition, they perform a variety of functions including the control of voluntary movements, habit learning, procedural learning, conditional learning, eye movements, emotion, and cognition.

The dorsal striatum, ventral striatum, globus pallidus, ventral pallidum, subthalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra are the components of the basal ganglia. Among those, the striatum is the largest component of the basal ganglia. Moreover, the striatum receives inputs from many brain areas and it sends signals to the other components of the basal ganglia. For instance, the striatum sends inputs to globus pallidus and the globus pallidus sends inhibitory inputs to a number of motor-related areas. The striatum also sends input signals to substantial nigra through the neurotransmitter dopamine. Generally, dopamine plays an important function in the basal ganglia function.