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Networking brainstem and basal ganglia circuits for movement

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 23, pages 342–360 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

The execution and learning of diverse movements involve neuronal networks distributed throughout the nervous system. The brainstem and basal ganglia are key for processing motor information. Both harbour functionally specialized populations stratified on the basis of axonal projections, synaptic inputs and gene expression, revealing a correspondence between circuit anatomy and function at a high level of granularity. Neuronal populations within both structures form multistep processing chains dedicated to the execution of specific movements; however, the connectivity and communication between these two structures is only just beginning to be revealed. The brainstem and basal ganglia are also embedded into wider networks and into systems-level loops. Important networking components include broadcasting neurons in the cortex, cerebellar output neurons and midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Action-specific circuits can be enhanced, vetoed, work in synergy or competition with others, or undergo plasticity to allow adaptive behaviour. We propose that this highly specific organization of circuits in the motor system is a core ingredient for supporting behavioural specificity, and at the same time for providing an adequate substrate for behavioural flexibility.

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Fig. 1: Brainstem neurons regulating speed and direction of locomotion.
Fig. 2: Brainstem neurons for the construction of forelimb movements.
Fig. 3: Interactions between basal ganglia and brainstem circuits.
Fig. 4: Action specificity in striatal circuits.
Fig. 5: Widely projecting neuronal populations in the motor system.
Fig. 6: Different brain networks mediate different aspects of motor learning.
Fig. 7: Principles for network processing for action diversification and learning.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank G. Costa (https://www.gilcosta.com) for support in the generation of graphical illustrations accompanying this Review. S.A. was supported by funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Descent, grant agreement no. 692617), the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Kanton Basel-Stadt, the Novartis Research Foundation and the Louis Jeantet Prize for Medicine. R.M.C was supported by NIH BRAIN Initiative grant 5U19NS104649, the Simons-Emory International Consortium on Motor Control and SFARI. S.A. and R.M.C. were supported by a grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative.

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  1. Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Silvia Arber

  2. Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland

    Silvia Arber

  3. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behaviour Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Rui M. Costa

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  1. Silvia Arber
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Arber, S., Costa, R.M. Networking brainstem and basal ganglia circuits for movement. Nat Rev Neurosci 23, 342–360 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-022-00581-w

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