Dorsal striatum

The dorsal striatum is the major input component of the basal ganglia and consists of the caudate nucleus and putamen. Although these structures are separated for most of their extent by the internal capsule, they remain continuous anteriorly and through strands of grey matter that cross the internal capsule.

Afferent and efferent neuronal connections of dorsal striatum

The dorsal striatum receives extensive excitatory glutamatergic input from the cerebral cortex, together with dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra pars compacta via the nigrostriatal pathway and additional input from the thalamus. Its principal projection neurons are GABAergic medium spiny neurons, which participate in the direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways. Through these pathways, the dorsal striatum influences the globus pallidus and substantia nigra and ultimately modifies thalamocortical activity.

Difference between dorsal and ventral striatum

The dorsal striatum is distinguished from the ventral striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens and is more strongly involved in reward, motivation and reinforcement.