Basal Ganglia

• Components: caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, nucleus accumbens.
• Functions:
  • Movement control (initiation, inhibition).
  • Habit learning, reward, motivation (connects to addiction pathways).
  • Cognitive flexibility (switching responses).
• Disorders:
  • Parkinson’s: substantia nigra degeneration → movement deficits (loss of dopamine neurons).
  • Huntington’s: caudate/putamen degeneration → involuntary movements.
  • Tourette’s: dysregulated basal ganglia circuits → tics.

brain forebrain diencephalon basalGanglia