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Control of Human Voluntary Movement pp 449–501Cite as

The basal ganglia

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Abstract

At one time, the term, ‘basal ganglia’ was used to describe all the large nuclear masses in the interior of the brain, including the thalamus. Gradually, its use has become restricted to five closely related nuclei: caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra (Figure 11.1). The basal ganglia receive no direct sensory inputs and, like the cerebellum, send no direct motor output to the spinal cord. However, there is no doubt that these structures are involved in the control of movement. All diseases of the basal ganglia in man have some disorder of movement as their primary symptom. These range from an excess of involuntary movements (for instance, chorea) to a poverty and slowness of voluntary movement (for instance, Parkinson’s disease). Important as their role may be, there is to date no agreement on the precise function or the mechanism of action of the basal ganglia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Human Movement and Balance Unit, Institute of Neurology, London, UK

    John Rothwell (Head of Movement Disorder Section)

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© 1994 John Rothwell

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Rothwell, J. (1994). The basal ganglia. In: Control of Human Voluntary Movement. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-6960-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-6960-8_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-47700-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-6960-8

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