BASAL GANGLIA

 Modulation
 Initiation of Movements
 Smooth Performance
 constitute another accessory motor system
that functions usually not by itself but in close
assocciation with the cerebral cortex &
corticospinal motor control system.
 In fact, the BG receive most of their input
signals from the cerebral cortex itself & also
return almost all their output signal back to
the cortex.
 NEURONAL CIRCUITRY of the
BASAL GANGLIA

• PUTAMEN CIRCUIT
• CAUDATE NUCLEUS CIRCUIT
 FUNCTIONS OF BG IN EXECUTING
PATTERNS OF MOTOR ACTIVITY –
“PUTAMEN CIRCUIT”
• Function in association with the corticospinal
system to control complex patterns of motor
activity.
• Examples: writing letters, cutting paper with
scissors, hammering nails, shooting baskteball
through a hoop, controlled movements of the
eyes, & any other skilled movements.
 Neural Pathway of the
“PUTAMEN CIRCUIT”
1. Premotor and Somatosensory Area
2. Putamen
3. Internal Globus Pallidus
4. Ventroanterior/Ventrolateral
Nuclei of Thalamus
5. Primary Motor Cortex &
to portions of Premotor Cortex
 DPC-GA-SH
• D Dystonia – sustained posturing of neck musculatures
• P Putamen
• C Chorea – rapid,jerky flicking movements of hands,face

• G Globus Pallidus
• A Athetosis – slow, writhing movements of
hand,arm,neck or face

• S Subthalamic Nucleus
• H Hemiballismus – wild, violent flailing movements of
entire limb
*Substantia Nigra – rigidity, akinesia, tremors
 ROLE OF BG IN “COGNITIVE” CONTROL OF SEQUENCES
OF MOTOR PATTERNS – CAUDATE CIRCUIT
• Caudate Nucleus receives large amounts of its input from the association areas of
the cerebral cortex that integrates the different types of sensory & motor
information into usable thought patterns.
1. Cerebral cortex
2. Caudate Nucleus
3. Internal Globus Pallidus
4. Ventroanterior/Ventrolateral
Nuclei of Thalamus
5. Prefrontal, Premotor Cortex
 Fnxs of BG to Change the Timing &
to Scale the Intensity of Movements
2 important capabilities of brain in controlling mov’t:
 To determine how rapidly the movement is to be performed
 To control how large the movement will be

* Posterior Parietal Cortex

- center of spatial coordinates for motor control of all parts of
the body
- “Agnosia” – inability to accurately perceive objects through
normally functioning sensory mechanism.
Agnosia – inability to recognize/know
Gnosis – ability to know
• Tactile Agnosia
– Parietal lobe (Area 5,7)
• Visual Agnosia
– Occipital lobe (Area 18,19)
– Most Common
• Auditory Agnosia
– Temporal Lobe (Area R 22)

*Anosognosia – denial of the presence of paralysis

*Somatognosia – inability to identify body parts
 Functions of Specific
Neurotransmitter in the BG System
• Dopamine – from Subtantia Nigra to the Caudate Nucleus & Putamen
• GABA - from caudate nucleus & putamen to globus pallidus & substantia
nigra
• AcH – from the cortex to the caudate nucleus and putamen
• Norepinephrine, Serotonin, Enkephalin – from Brainstem to diff parts of
the BG