Reciprocal Links of the Corpus striatum with the Cerebral Cortex and Limbic System: A Common Substrate for Movement and Thought?

Abstract

Broadly speaking, the cerebral hemisphere of mammals can be said to be composed of three major anatomical and functional realms: the neocortex, the limbic system, and the extrapyramidal system (also referred to as basal ganglia or corpus striatum). Traditionally, and not without good physiological and clinicopathological reason, the neocortex is considered to embody the highest level of sensory analysis and perceptual integration, as well as certain of the more differentiated mechanisms subserving somatic motor function. Last but not least, it is regarded as the staging ground for ideational processes. The limbic system, by contrast, is generally viewed as the main cerebral representative of the internal milieu, expressing its functions, in part at least, in the form of affects and motivation. And finally, the basal ganglia are generally considered to be essential components of the brain’s somatic motor system.