The cortico-basal ganglia integrative network: the role of the thalamus

By Suzanne N. Haber, Roberta Calzavara. Brain Research Bulletin, 2008

709 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The thalamus is a critical component of the frontal cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuits that mediate motivation and emotional drive, planning and cognition for the development and expression of goal-directed behaviors. Each functional region of the frontal cortex is connected with specific areas of each basal ganglia (BG) structure and of the thalamus. In addition, the thalamus sends a massive, topographically organized projection directly to the striatum. Tract-tracing and physiological experiments have indicated a general topographic organization of the cortical-BG-thalamic loops and supported a model of BG function based on parallel and segregated pathways. However, the learning and execution of appropriate behavioral responses require integration of inputs related to emotional, cognitive, and motor cortical functions. Our recent data indicate that integration may occur via non-reciprocal connections between the striatum and substantia nigra and within “hot spots” of convergence between cortico-striatal projections from different functional regions. Similarly, integration may exist in the thalamus. There are non-reciprocal connections between the thalamus and cortex via thalamocortical projections that terminate in the superficial and deep cortical layers. These terminals can influence different functional cortical areas that, in turn, project to the striatum and back to the thalamus. In addition, a non-reciprocal corticothalamic projection terminates in thalamic regions that are parts of other circuits. Finally, ‘hot spots’ of convergence between terminals from different cortical regions may also occur in the thalamus as is seen in the striatum. Thus, via several different pathways, the thalamus may serve as an important center of integration of networks that underlie the ability to modulate behaviors.

Subfields: Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b31bdd03dd51eb602cb3573d8d84604b5b9a8c08

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Cognitive Neuroscience

1. Olaf Sporns
2. Patric Hagmann
3. E. Bullmore
4. Gustavo Deco
5. Jean-Philippe Thiran
6. D. Bassett
7. Martijn P. van den Heuvel
8. Yong He

In Neurology

1. Olaf Sporns
2. Van J. Wedeen
3. Vincent P. Ferrera
4. Donald T. Stuss
5. Marianna Yanike

Citations in the corpus

• Representation of Outcome Risk and Action in the Anterior Caudate Nucleus (2014, background): “The outcome risk signals in the anterior caudate can potentially derive from some of these inputs, most likely from the orbitofrontal and cingulate cortex (Yeterian and Van Hoesen, 1978; Calzavara et al., 2007; Haber and Calzavara, 2009).”
• White matter maturation reshapes structural connectivity in the late developing human brain (2010, background): “Furthermore, the particular role of the deep gray nuclei in modulating cortical activity through topographically segregated loops linking cortex, striatum, and thalamus is not modeled specifically in our study (51).”
• Functions of the Frontal Lobes: Relation to Executive Functions (2011, background): “The frontal lobes may play a key role in such integration but there is suggestion that integration and restructuring of neural assemblies can occur in different regions (Haber & Calzavara, 2009).”