Basal Ganglia Flashcards
Which two parts of the corpus striatum are functionally similar ?
Caudate nucleus & Putamen
What constitutes the Lentiform nucleus?
Putamen & Globus Pallidus
What are the Caudate nucleus & Putamen altogether known as?
Neostriatum/striatum
What is the basal ganglia made up of?
Corpus striatum & Amygdala
What are the Caudate nucleus, Globus Pallidus & Putamen called altogether?
Corpus striatum
What constitutes the Paleostriatum?
Globus Pallidus
What is the most ventral part of the striatum called?
Nucleus Accumbens
Which integrative ‘system’ is Nucleus Accumbens a part of?
Limbic
What is the claustrum & where is it found?
It is a ‘sliver’ of gray matter found sandwiched within the white matter lateral to the putamen.
What is the structure that separates the head of the Caudate Nucleus from the Putamen?
Anterior Limb of the Internal Capsule
Where is the Substantia Innominata?
Basal part of rostral (towards the head) forebrain BENEATH the Corpus Striatum
Name an important group of neurones in the Substantia Innominata
Nucleus Basalis (project widely to cerebral cortex and use ACh as neurotransmitter - main neurones to undergo degen. in Alzheimer’s disease)
What is the ‘input’ portion of the Corpus Striatum?
Caudate Nucleus & Putamen
What are the three MAIN striatal afferents?
Corticostriatal (frontal lobes & parietal lobes)
Thalamostriatal (intralaminar nuclei of thalamus)
Nigrostriatal (pars compacta of substantia nigra)
Name the neurotransmitter released by the corticostriatal fibres
Glutamic acid
Name the neurotransmitter released by the thalamostriatal fibres
Glutamic acid
Name the neurotransmitter released by the nigrostriatal fibres
Dopamine
Is glutamic acid excitatory or inhibitory?
Excitatory
Is dopamine excitatory or inhibitory?
Both - depending on which receptor it binds to [D1 or D2].
Name two (not as important) striatal afferents?
Mesolimbic/mesostriatal fibres (From VTA to Nucleus Accumbens)
Fibres from Raphe Nuclei (Found all along the brainstem)
Name the neurotransmitter released by mesolimbic/mesostriatal fibres
Dopamine
Name the neurotransmitter released by the Raphe nuclei
Serotonin