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Updating the striatal–pallidal wiring diagram

Nature Neuroscience volume 27, pages 15–27 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

The striatal and pallidal complexes are basal ganglia structures that orchestrate learning and execution of flexible behavior. Models of how the basal ganglia subserve these functions have evolved considerably, and the advent of optogenetic and molecular tools has shed light on the heterogeneity of subcircuits within these pathways. However, a synthesis of how molecularly diverse neurons integrate into existing models of basal ganglia function is lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the neurochemical and molecular diversity of striatal and pallidal neurons and synthesize recent circuit connectivity studies in rodents that takes this diversity into account. We also highlight anatomical organizational principles that distinguish the dorsal and ventral basal ganglia pathways in rodents. Future work integrating the molecular and anatomical properties of striatal and pallidal subpopulations may resolve controversies regarding basal ganglia network function.

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Fig. 1: Basal ganglia pathways.
Fig. 2: Neural circuit diagram of the striatum.
Fig. 3: Dopamine asymmetrically modulates D1-SPNs and D2-SPNs.
Fig. 4: Neural circuit diagram of the GPe.
Fig. 5: Predicted effects of SPN balance on pallidal output.
Fig. 6: Neural circuit diagram of the VP.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (grant no. 27197 to M.C.C.), Rita Allen Scholar Award in Pain (to M.C.C), the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (R01DA049924 and R01DA058755 to M.C.C.) and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (to L.Z.F.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Lisa Z. Fang & Meaghan C. Creed

  2. Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

    Lisa Z. Fang

  3. Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Meaghan C. Creed

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  1. Lisa Z. Fang
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Correspondence to Meaghan C. Creed.

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Fang, L.Z., Creed, M.C. Updating the striatal–pallidal wiring diagram. Nat Neurosci 27, 15–27 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01518-x

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