Chapter II The basal ganglia

doi:10.1016/S0924-8196(96)80004-2

Handbook of Chemical Neuroanatomy

Volume 12, 1996, Pages 371-468

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-8196(96)80004-2 Get rights and content

Publisher Summary

The basal ganglia are a major neural system that receive cortical inputs, process these inputs, and feed them back to the cortex via connections through the midbrain and thalamus. While most cortical areas provide inputs to the basal ganglia, including frontal, parietal, temporal, and limbic cortices, the thalamic feedback is directed principally to frontal cortical areas, including prefrontal, premotor, and supplementary motor areas. This thalamic feedback, which parallels ascending cerebellar connections through the thalamus to primary motor cortex, involves the basal ganglia in motor function. Diseases of the basal ganglia result in profound movement disorders. However, the complexity and variety of such disorders makes characterizing a typical function elusive. Hypokinetic disorders predominate in some diseases, such as in Parkinson's disease, whereas hyperkinetic disorders are typical in Huntington's chorea and Tourette's syndrome. Unlike the cortex in which neurons are distributed in distinct layers that aid in the characterization of functionally distinct areas, the principal components of the basal ganglia are characterized by a homogeneity of neuronal distribution.

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Cited by (406)

The relationship between metabolic control and basal ganglia morphometry and function in individuals with early-treated phenylketonuria
2022, Molecular Genetics and Metabolism
Abnormalities of the cortical white matter are the most prominent and widely-reported neurological findings in individuals with early-treated phenylketonuria (ETPKU). Much less is known regarding the effects of ETPKU on gray matter structures in the brain such as the basal ganglia. Previous findings on basal ganglia in ETPKU have been mixed. The current study was designed to further elucidate the effects of ETPKU and elevated phe levels on the morphometry of basal ganglia structures (i.e., putamen, caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and globus pallidus). High resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was collected from a sample of 37 adults with ETPKU and a demographically-matched comparison group of 33 individuals without PKU. No overall group differences (ETPKU vs. non-PKU) in basal ganglia volumes were observed. However, within the ETPKU group, poorer metabolic control (as reflected by higher blood phenylalanine levels) was associated with larger putamen volume. Vertex-wise shape analysis revealed that the volume increase was accompanied by shape changes in the middle left putamen. Consistent with this area's role in motor control, a significant correlation between left putamen volume and motor performance was also observed. Additional research is needed to fully understand the cellular level processes underlying this effect as well as to better understand the clinical impact of these morphometric changes and their potential relation to treatment response.
Oscillatory waveform sharpness asymmetry changes in motor thalamus and motor cortex in a rat model of Parkinson's disease
2022, Experimental Neurology
Parkinson's disease (PD) causes bursty and oscillatory activity in basal ganglia output that is thought to contribute to movement deficits through impact on motor thalamus and motor cortex (MCx). We examined the effect of dopamine loss on motor thalamus and motor cortex activity by recording neuronal and LFP activities in ventroanterior-ventrolateral (VAVL) thalamus and MCx in urethane-anesthetised control and parkinsonian rats. Dopamine lesion decreased the firing rate and increased the bursting of putative pyramidal neurons in layer V, but not layer VI, of the MCx without changing other aspects of firing pattern. In contrast, dopamine lesion did not affect VAVL firing rate, pattern or low threshold calcium spike bursts. Slow-wave (~1 Hz) oscillations in LFP recordings were analyzed with conventional power and waveform shape analyses. While dopamine lesion did not influence total power, it was consistently associated with an increase in oscillatory waveform sharpness asymmetry (i.e., sharper troughs vs. peaks) in both motor thalamus and MCx. Furthermore, we found that measures of sharpness asymmetry were positively correlated in paired motor thalamus-MCx recordings, and that correlation coefficients were larger in dopamine lesioned rats. These data support the idea that dysfunctional MCx activity in parkinsonism emerges from subsets of cell groups (e.g. layer V pyramidal neurons) and is evident in the shape but not absolute power of slow-wave oscillations. Hypoactive layer V pyramidal neuron firing in dopamine lesioned rats is unlikely to be driven by VAVL thalamus and may, therefore, reflect the loss of mesocortical dopaminergic afferents and/or changes in intrinsic excitability.
Adaptive Force and emotionally related imaginations – preliminary results suggest a reduction of the maximal holding capacity as reaction to disgusting food imagination
2021, Heliyon
The link between emotions and motor control has been discussed for years. The measurement of the Adaptive Force (AF) provides the possibility to get insights into the adaptive control of the neuromuscular system in reaction to external forces. It was hypothesized that the holding isometric AF is especially vulnerable to disturbing inputs. Here, the behavior of the AF under the influence of positive (tasty) vs. negative (disgusting) food imaginations was investigated. The AF was examined in n = 12 cases using an objectified manual muscle test of the hip flexors, elbow flexors or pectoralis major muscle, performed by one of two experienced testers while the participants imagined their most tasty or most disgusting food. The reaction force and the limb position were measured by a handheld device. While the slope of force rises and the maximal AF did not differ significantly between tasty and disgusting imaginations (p > 0.05), the maximal isometric AF was significantly lower and the AF at the onset of oscillations was significantly higher under disgusting vs. tasty imaginations (both p = 0.001). A proper length tension control of muscles seems to be a crucial functional parameter of the neuromuscular system which can be impaired instantaneously by emotionally related negative imaginations. This might be a potential approach to evaluate somatic reactions to emotions.
Altered excitatory transmission in striatal neurons after chronic ethanol consumption in selectively bred crossed high alcohol-preferring mice
2021, Neuropharmacology
Genetic predisposition to heavy drinking is a risk factor for alcohol misuse. We used selectively bred crossed high alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice to study sex differences in alcohol drinking and its effect on glutamatergic activity in dorsolateral (DLS) and dorsomedial (DMS) striatum. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recording in neurons from male and female cHAP mice with 5-week alcohol drinking history and alcohol-naïve controls. In DMS, alcohol-naïve males' neurons displayed lower cell capacitance and higher membrane resistance than females’ neurons, both effects reversed by drinking. Conversely, in DLS neurons, drinking history increased capacitance only in males and changed membrane resistance only in females. Altered biophysical membrane properties were accompanied by disrupted glutamatergic transmission. Drinking history increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude in DMS and frequency in DLS female neurons, compared to alcohol-naïve females, without effect in males. Acute ethanol differentially impacted DMS and DLS neurons by sex and drinking history. In DMS, acute alcohol significantly increased sEPSC frequency only in neurons from alcohol-naïve females, an effect that disappeared after drinking history. In DLS, acute alcohol had opposing effects in males and females based on drinking history. Estrous cycle also impacted DMS and DLS neurons differently: sEPSC amplitudes were higher in DMS cells from drinking history than alcohol-naïve females, whereas estrous cycle, not drinking history, modified DLS firing rate. Our data show sex differences in cHAP ethanol consumption and neurophysiology, suggesting differential dysregulation of glutamatergic drive onto DMS and DLS after chronic ethanol consumption.
Conditional deletion of melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 from GABAergic neurons increases locomotor activity
2019, Molecular Metabolism
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) plays a key role in regulating energy balance. MCH acts via its receptor MCHR1, and MCHR1 deletion increases energy expenditure and locomotor activity, which is associated with a hyperdopaminergic state. Since MCHR1 expression is widespread, the neurons supporting the effects of MCH on energy expenditure are not clearly defined. There is a high density of MCHR1 neurons in the striatum, and these neurons are known to be GABAergic. We thus determined if MCH acts via this GABAergic neurocircuit to mediate energy balance.
We generated a Mchr1-flox mouse and crossed it with the Vgat-cre mouse to assess if MCHR1 deletion from GABAergic neurons expressing the vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT) in female Vgat-Mchr1-KO mice resulted in lower body weights or increased energy expenditure. Additionally, we determined if MCHR1-expressing neurons within the accumbens form part of the neural circuit underlying MCH-mediated energy balance by delivering an adeno-associated virus expressing Cre recombinase to the accumbens nucleus of Mchr1-flox mice. To evaluate if a dysregulated dopaminergic tone leads to their hyperactivity, we determined if the dopamine reuptake blocker GBR12909 prolonged the drug-induced locomotor activity in Vgat-Mchr1-KO mice. Furthermore, we also performed amperometry recordings to test whether MCHR1 deletion increases dopamine output within the accumbens and whether MCH can suppress dopamine release.
Vgat-Mchr1-KO mice have lower body weight, increased energy expenditure, and increased locomotor activity. Similarly, restricting MCHR1 deletion to the accumbens nucleus also increased locomotor activity. Vgat-Mchr1-KO mice show increased and prolonged sensitivity to GBR12909-induced locomotor activity, and amperometry recordings revealed that GBR12909 elevated accumbens dopamine levels to twice that of controls, thus MCHR1 deletion may lead to a hyperdopaminergic state that mediates their observed hyperactivity. Consistent with the inhibitory effect of MCH, we found that MCH acutely suppresses dopamine release within the accumbens.
As with established models of systemic MCH or MCHR1 deletion, we found that MCHR1 deletion from GABAergic neurons, specifically those within the accumbens nucleus, also led to increased locomotor activity. A hyperdopaminergic state underlies this increased locomotor activity, and is consistent with our finding that MCH signaling within the accumbens nucleus suppresses dopamine release. In effect, MCHR1 deletion may disinhibit dopamine release leading to the observed hyperactivity.
Adaptive Force of hamstring muscles is reduced in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared to asymptomatic controls
2024, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

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Chapter II The basal ganglia

Publisher Summary

Trends Neurosci.

Neuroscience

Trends Neurosci.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Brain Res. Bull.

Brain Res.

J. Biol. Chem.

Brain Res. Bull.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Prog. Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Trends Neurosci.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Neurosci. Lett.

Brain Res.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

Trends Neurosci.

Brain Res.

Muscarinic modulation of a transient K+ conductance in rat neostriatal neurons

Nature

Parallel organization of functionally segregated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex

Ann. Rev. Neurosci.

Basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits: parallel substrates for motor, oculomotor, prefrontal and limbic functions

Progr. Brain Res.

Corticocortical connections of anatomically and physiological defined subdivisions within the inferior parietal lobule

J. Comp. Neurol.

Activity of neurons in cerebellar-receiving and pallidal-receiving areas of the thalamus of the behaving monkey

J. Neurophysiol.

Neurokinin receptors differentially mediate endogenous acetycholine release evoked by tachykinins in the neostriatum

J. Neurosci.

The organization of prefrontocaudate projections and their laminar origin in the macaque monkey: A retrograde study using HRP-gel

J. Comp. Neurol.

An autoradiographic examination of corticocortical and subcortical projections of the mediodorsal-projection (prefrontal) cortex in the rat

J. Comp. Neurol.

The thalamostriatal projection in the cat

J. Comp. Neurol.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of differential substance P-, metenkephalin-, and glutamic-acid-decarboxylase-containing cell body and axon distributions in the corpus striatum of the cat

J. Comp. Neurol.

Topographical organization and relationship with ventral striatal compartments of prefrontal corticostriatal projections in the rat

J. Comp. Neurol.

Compartmental distribution of ventral striatal neurons projecting to the mesencephalon in the rat

J. Neurosci.

Nuclear origin of thalamic afferents of the ventral striatum determines their relation to patch/matrix configurations in enkephalin-immunoreactivity in the rat

J. Chem. Neuroanat.

Reversal of experimental parkinsonism by lesions of the subthalamic nucleus

Science

Muscarinic modulation of a transient K⁺ conductance in rat neostriatal neurons