Among the many neuromodulators used by the mammalian brain to regulate circuit function
and plasticity, dopamine (DA) stands out as one of the most behaviorally powerful …

The basal ganglia are a chain of subcortical nuclei that facilitate action selection. Two striatal
projection systems—so-called direct and indirect pathways—form the functional backbone of …

The action potential of the squid giant axon is formed by just two voltage-dependent
conductances in the cell membrane, yet mammalian central neurons typically express more …

The dorsal striatum, which consists of the caudate and putamen, is the gateway to the basal
ganglia. It receives convergent excitatory afferents from cortex and thalamus and forms the …

Dopamine shapes a wide variety of psychomotor functions. This is mainly accomplished by
modulating cortical and thalamic glutamatergic signals im**ing upon principal medium …

Striatal dopamine receptor D1-expressing neurons have been classically associated with
positive reinforcement and reward, whereas D2 neurons are associated with negative …

Why dopamine-containing neurons of the brain's substantia nigra pars compacta die in
Parkinson's disease has been an enduring mystery. Our studies suggest that the unusual …

Salient stimuli redirect attention and suppress ongoing motor activity. This attentional shift is
thought to rely upon thalamic signals to the striatum to shift cortically driven action selection …

The basal ganglia occupy the core of the forebrain and consist of evolutionarily conserved
motor nuclei that form recurrent circuits critical for motivation and motor planning. The …

The striatum has been involved in complex behaviors such as motor control, learning,
decision-making, reward and aversion. The striatum is mainly composed of medium spiny …