Introduction
The striatum is a brain structure composed of different neuronal populations involved in the control of motor and cognitive functions. It is part of the basal ganglia, a group of structures which are involved in motor control, learning, and reward processing. The striatum is composed of three parts: the caudate nucleus, the putamen, and the nucleus accumbens. It is composed of medium spiny neurons, which receive inputs from the cortex and the thalamus, and project to the output nuclei of the basal ganglia.
Structure
The striatum is located in the forebrain and is composed of two parts: the dorsal striatum and the ventral striatum. The dorsal striatum consists of the caudate nucleus and the putamen. The caudate nucleus is located at the base of the brain, near the septum, and is involved in the control of motor and executive functions. The putamen is located lateral to the caudate nucleus and is involved in the control of motor and cognitive functions. The ventral striatum consists of the nucleus accumbens and is involved in reward processing and learning.
Function
The striatum is a major component of the basal ganglia, which is involved in the control of motor and cognitive functions. The medium spiny neurons of the striatum receive inputs from the cortex and the thalamus and project to the output nuclei of the basal ganglia, which include the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra, and the subthalamic nucleus. This pathway is involved in the control of motor functions, such as the initiation and termination of movement. The striatum is also involved in the control of cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The striatum is also involved in reward processing, as it receives inputs from dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area and projects to the nucleus accumbens.
Conclusion
The striatum is a brain structure composed of different neuronal populations which are involved in the control of motor and cognitive functions. It is composed of two parts: the dorsal striatum and the ventral striatum. The dorsal striatum consists of the caudate nucleus and the putamen, which are involved in the control of motor and executive functions, and the ventral striatum consists of the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in reward processing and learning. The striatum is a major component of the basal ganglia, which is involved in the control of motor and cognitive functions.
References
Graybiel, A. M. (2000). The basal ganglia and chunking of action repertoires. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 74(3), 119–136. https://doi.org/10.1006/nlme.2000.3958
Haber, S. N. (2003). The primate basal ganglia: Parallel and integrative networks. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 26(1–2), 317–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0891-0618(03)00107-4
Hikosaka, O., & Wurtz, R. H. (2008). Basal ganglia and their targets: Conflicting views and common themes. Neuron, 60(3), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2008.10.014