BASAL NUCLEI (GANGLIA) AND THEIR CONNECTIONS - Long and slender and is continuous with the body

in the region of the posterior end of the

TERMINOLOGY
BASAL GANGLIA (NUCLEI)
- Plays an important role in the control of posture
and voluntary movement.
- Collection of masses of gray matter situated
within each of the cerebral hemispheres.
thalamus
- It follows the contour of the lateral ventricle and
continues forward in the roof of the inferior horn
of the lateral ventricle
- Termination: Amygdaloid Nucleus
SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS

CORPUS STRIATUM - AKA: Body of Luys

- Lies dorsolateral to the upper end of substantia
- AKA: Striped Body nigra
- Extends posteriorly as far as the lateral aspect of
- Situated lateral to the thalamus and almost
red nucleus
completely divided by a band of nerve fibers,
internal capsule, into caudate nucleus and LENTIFORM NUCLEUS
lentiform nucleus.
- AKA: Lenticular Nucleus
TERMINOLOGY COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE - Wedge-shaped mass of gray matter whose broad
NUCLEI convex base is directed laterally and whose blade
is directed medially
Neurologic Structure Basal Nucleus - Located between the insula and internal capsule
Caudate Nucleus Caudate Nucleus - Globus pallidus + Putamen
- *EXTERNAL MEDULLARY LAMINA: divides the
Lentiform Nucleus Globus Pallidus + lentiform into 2 parts (globus pallidus and
Putamen putamen)
- Inferiorly at its anterior end, the putamen is
Claustraum Claustraum continuous with the head of the caudate nucleus
Corpus Striatum Caudate Nulcues + a. EXTERNAL CAPSULE
Lentiform Nucleus - Separate the thin sheet of gray matter (claustrum)
b. CLAUSTRUM
Neostriatum (striatum) Caudate Nucleus + - Separates the external capsule from the
Putamen subcortical white matter of the insula
- Unknown Function
Amygdaloid Nucleus Amygdaloid Nucleus - The claustrum is a thin sheet of gray matter that is
separated from the lateral surface of the lentiform
CAUDATE NUCLEUS nucleus by the external capsule
- Closely related to the lateral ventricle c. PUTAMEN
- Lies lateral to the thalamus - Larger, darker lateral portion
- Plays a role in cognitive motor control d. GLOBUS PALLIDUS
- Receive a large amount of input in the cerebral - Inner lighter portion
cortex - (+) Numerous Myelinated Fiber = Light color
- Major outflow nucleus of the basal ganglia
PARTS OF THE CAUDATE NUCLEUS - Forms the major site from which the output leaves
the basal nuclei.
1. HEAD OF CAUDATE NUCLEUS
- Large and rounded and forms the lateral wall of AMYGDALOID NUCLEUS
the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle
- Continuous inferiorly with the putamen of the - Located at the temporal lobe close to the uncus
lentiform nucleus - Considered as a part of the limbic system
2. BODY OF CAUDATE NUCLEUS - It can influence the bodys response to
- Long and narrow and is continuous with the head environmental changes
in the region of the interventricular foramen SUBSTANTIA NIGRA
- It forms the part of the floor of the body of the
lateral ventricle. - Its neurons are dopaminergic and inhibitory and
3. TAIL OF CAUDATE NUCLEUS have many connections to the corpus striatum
 - Large motor nucleus situated between the NEURAL PATHWAY FOR PUTAMEN CIRCUIT
tegmentum, and the crus cerebri and is found
throughout the midbrain
- (+)Medium-sized multipolar neurons
- Concerned with muscle tone and is connected to
the cerebral cortex, spinal cord, hypothalamus,
and basal nuclei
- Plays a key role in motor control
- Receives afferent fibers from the cerebral cortex
and the striatum; sends dopaminergic eerent
fibers to the striatum.

Pre-motor and Supplementary Area and Somatosensory

CONNECTIONS TO THE CORPUS STRIATUM
1. AFFERENT FIBERS
a. CORTICOSTRIATE FIBERS
- All parts of the cerebral cortex send axons to the
caudate nucleus and the putamen
- Each part of the cerebral cortex projects to a
specific part of the caudate-putamen complex
- Most of the projections are from the cortex of
same side
- Largest Input: Sensory Motor Cortex
- Neurotransmitter: Glutamate
- Secreted by the presynaptic terminals in
many of the sensory pathways entering the
central nervous system, as well as in many areas
of the cerebral cortex.
- It probably always causes excitation
- It is believed that glutamate is the
neurotransmitter substance secreted in the spinal
cord at the type A pain nerve fiber endings.
- Glutamate is one of the most widely used
excitatory transmitters in the central nervous
system, usually having a duration of action lasting
for only a few milliseconds.
b. THALAMOSTRIATE FIBERS
- The intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus send large
numbers of axons to the caudate nucleus and the
putamen
c. NIGOSTRIATE FIBERS
- Neurotransmitter: Dopamine
d. BRAIN STEM STRIATAL FIBERS
- Neurotransmitter: Serotonin
2. EFFERENT FIBERS
a. STRIATOPALLIDAL FIBERS
- Neurotransmitter: GABA
b. STRIATONIGRAL FIBERS
- Neurotransmitter: GABA or Ach or Substance P
Area from the cortex Putamen (Mainly your Caudate
Nucleus) Internal Portion of Globus Pallidus VA and VL
relay nuclei of thalamus Cerebral Primary Cortex
Signals from the cerebral Cortex Caudate
NucleusInternal Globus PallidusRelay Nuclei of Va and
VL thalamusMotor Areas of the Brain
NEUROTRANSMITTER
1. GABA (GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID)
- Pathways from caudate nucleus and putamen to
the globus pallidus
2. DOPAMINE
- Pathways from the substantia nigra to the caudate
nucleus and globus pallidus
3. ACETYLCHOLINE
- Pathways from the cortex to caudate nucleus and
globus pallidus
4. MULTIPLE GENERAL PATHWAYS FROM THE
BRAIN STEM THAT SECRETE
NOREPINEPHRINE, SERATONIN AND
EKEPHALIN AND SEVERAL OTHERS IN
SUBSTANTIA NIGRA
5. MULTIPLE GLUTAMATE PATHWAYS
- Major Excitatory Pathway
 CLINICAL NOTES

1. LESION IN PUTAMEN
- Dystonia
2. LESION IN STRIATUM
- Chorea (Huntington Disease)
3. LESION IN GLOBUS PALLIDUS
- Athethosis
4. LESION IN SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS
- Hemiballismus

Anterior Horn of
Lateral Ventricle Globus
Pallidus

Claustraum Internal
Capsule

External
Putamen
Capsule