- Basal Ganglia structures receives information from cerebral cortex, relays their output back to cortex in order to coordinate movement
- Deterioration to basal ganglia has resulted in diseases including Parkinson's and Huntington's disease
- Basal ganglia especially important in coordinating movements in relation to memories, rather than sensory stimuli
- Also useful in learning various motor-related skills

Basal Ganglia and Movement

- Substantia Nigra: brainstem structure, neurons communicate with basal ganglia 

Substantia Nigra 

- Subthalamic nucleus: nuclei (nerves) ventral (below) the thalamus, which communicate with basal ganglia 

Subthalamic Nucleus 

- Involved in coordinating the initiation, direction, and amplitude of a movement
- Works with motor cortex to start/stop movements 
- Made up of forebrain nuclei (nuclei: collection of neurons), including caudate nucleus and putamen (known as striatum), and globus pallidus 
- The substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus are also closely associated with this region


Smith College

- A motor system that goes from the forebrain to the spinal cord and brainstem
- Includes the basal ganglia and cerebellum (structures of the brain)
- These structures send messages to the spinal cord through the reticulospinal tract and the rubrospinal tract

Extrapyramidal System 

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

- Originates in a region of the brainstem known as the "reticular formation" 
- Extends to the spinal cord to regulate movement 

Reticulospinal Tract 

- Originates in region of brainstem known as "red nucleus" (midbrain)
- Extends to spinal cord

Rubrospinal Tract

Basal Ganglia 

- Works with the supplementary motor area (SMA) to regulate ongoing movements and create uniform movement.
- The size of the cerebellum is positively related to the complexity of an organism's movement capabilities.
- The outer layer, or "cerebellar cortex," contains Purkinje cells involved in guiding movement.
- Receives and sends information to the sensory organs of the proprioceptive and kinesthetic systems to help process body position and movement.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After