The molecular, cellular, and systems-level structure of the basal ganglia

This chapter provides a brief overview of the systems, cellular, and molecular structure of the various nuclei of basal ganglia (BG) such as striatum, STN, GPe, GPi, and the SNr including the various neurotransmitters impacting its function. We start with the system-level connection between cortex and BG and then cover the various cell types, receptors (such as dopaminergic, acetylcholine) present on each of the BG nuclei. The effect of Parkinson’s disease on their dynamics especially the STN–GPe oscillatory network is then discussed. The dopaminergic systems SNc and VTA are also covered in terms of their architecture and input–output synaptic projection patterns. Finally, a short intro to the multiple cortico-BG loops and their functional relevance is discussed. This brief overview helps provide background on BG structure, which is the basis of several models we present in this book.