21.4 and 21.5. Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum (HT) Flashcards
Summarise the organisation of the sensory-motor pathway.
- Sensory systems and the limbic/reticular system are responsible for our motivation to make movement, both due to sensory input and due to our emotions
- The basal ganglia and pre-motor cortical areas are involved in planning of movement
- The motor cortex programs this movement
- The cerebellum and brainstem are involved in integration
- The spinal cords and muscles execute the movement
What are the basal ganglia and where are they found?
- A group of subcortical nuclei in the brain.
- They are found at the base of the forebrain and top of the midbrain (i.e. they are subcortical).
Draw diagrams to show the subcortical loops that the basal ganglia and cerebellum are involved in.
Describe simply the subcortical loops that basal ganglia form.
- Receive information from various cortical areas
- They then process this information and pass it back to the cortex via the thalamus (ventral anterior and vental lateral nuclei)
The basal ganglia are ………, ………. structures.
- Extrapyramidal (meaning that they do not pass through the pyramids of the medulla)
- Subcortical
Summarise simply the function of the basal ganglia.
- They are involved in selection of internally-generated goal-driven movements.
- This is done because they receive information from the cortical areas and then output back to the pre-motor cortical areas via the thalamus
(In other words, the basal ganglia select motor activity that is not reflex, although it may be almost automatic due to learning)
Describe in depth the functions of the basal ganglia.
- Solve the problem of multiple competing inputs from the limbic/reticular system and cortical areas:
- There are multiple sensory, motivational and emotional inputs, as well as short and long-term goals, to the basal ganglia
- They must weight up these needs and put them in context, in order to decide which motor program is appropriate for the circumstances
- This is done by:
- Selecting the goal to respond to (e.g. quenching thirst)
- Selecting actions that will achieve that goal (e.g. movement)
- Select the exact movements required with regards to important sensory stimuli (e.g. how to move to get the water)
- Learn the outcome of actions (Outocome-Action) and the sensory cues that are associated with those outcomes (Stimulus-Outcome)
- This allows adaptation, so that efficient responses can be managed in the future
- This is called reinforcement learning
- Establish habits (Stimulus-Response)
Draw the general appearance of the basal ganglia in 3D.
What are the different basal ganglia you need to know about?
[IMPORTANT]
- Striatum
- Caudate
- Putamen
- Globus pallidus
- Internal segment
- External segment
- Subthalamic nucleus
- Substantia nigra
- Pars compacta
- Pars reticulata
Label this.
What is number 1?
Thalamus (Ventral anterior and ventral lateral nuclei)
What is number 2?
Caudate nucleus (part of striatum)
What is number 3?
Putamen (part of striatum)
What is number 4?
Globus pallidus (internal and external segments)
What is number 5?
Subthalamic nuclei
What is number 6?
Substantia nigra pars compacta
What is number 7?
Substantia nigra pars reticulata
Label this.
Label this.
Draw a diagram to show the relative 3D positions of all of the basal ganglia.
Draw and describe the subcortical loops that the basal ganglia are involved in.
[IMPORTANT]
- The blue box shows all of the basal ganglia
- The striatum receives input from the cortex
- It then outputs to the substantia nigra pars reticulata and internal globus pallidus (which are considered together), as well as the external globus pallidus
- The external globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus are interconnected, and the subthalamic nucleus also outputs to the substantia nigra pars reticulata and internal globus pallidus
- Output from the basal ganglia is from the substantia nigra pars reticuluta and internal globus pallidus, to the thalamus and brainstem nuclei
- The substantia nigra compacta also outputs back to the striatum
- The thalamus outputs to the cortex and striatum, completing the loop
Which part of the basal ganglia is most input from the cortex and thalamus from?
Striatum
Which part of the basal ganglia is most output from the basal ganglia from and to?
- From the substantia nigra pars reticulata and internal globus pallidus.
- To the thalamus and to the brainstem nuclei.
Which two parts of the basal ganglia are frequently considered together and why?
- Substantia nigra para reticulata and internal globus pallidus
- This is because they contain similar neurons and have similar inputs/outputs




