From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Position of the basal ganglia
Thebasal ganglia (or basalnuclei) are three areas under thecerebral cortex. They are part of thecerebrum (forebrain), and connected to themidbrain and thethalamus. They are vital tomovement, and damage here results is damaged ability to move.
The three areas are:
striatum
caudate nucleus
putamen
pallidum (or globus pallidus)
substantia nigra
nucleus accubens
subthalamic nucleus
The range of behaviours controlled by the nuclei is wide. They control eye movements.[1] They do voluntary motor control, learning procedures for routine behaviors or "habits", and cognitive emotional functions.[2][3]
The basal ganglia also controlmotivation. They select actions, that is, the choice of what to do at a given time.[2][4] Experimental studies show that the basal ganglia inhibit (suppress) a number ofmotor systems. A release of this inhibition lets a motor system act. This "behaviour switching" is influenced by signals from many parts of the brain, including theprefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in doing things.[3][5]
The basal ganglia form one of the basic components of theforebrain, and can be recognized in all species of vertebrates.[6] Even in thelamprey (one of the most primitive vertebrates) striatal, pallidal, and nigral elements can be identified by their anatomy and histochemistry.[7]
