Parkinson's disease is a common and disabling disorder of movement owing to
dopaminergic denervation of the striatum. However, it is still unclear how this denervation …

The mesolimbic dopaminergic (ML-DA) system has been recognized for its central role in
motivated behaviors, various types of reward, and, more recently, in cognitive processes …

Oscillations and synchrony in basal ganglia circuits may play a key role in the organization
of voluntary actions and habits. We recorded single units and local field potentials from …

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is highly effective for both hypo-and hyperkinetic movement
disorders of basal ganglia origin. The clinical use of DBS is, in part, empiric, based on the …

We review the principal assumptions underlying the application of phase-response curves
(PRCs) to synchronization in neuronal networks. The PRC measures how much a given …

The nucleus accumbens is critical for reward-guided learning and decision-making. It is
thought to “gate” the flow of a diverse range of information (eg, rewarding, aversive, and …

The striatum is thought to play a central role in learning how to choose acts that lead to
reward and avoid punishment. Dopamine-dependent modification of striatal synapses in the …

Elevation of inflammatory cytokines in the striatum precedes symptoms in a number of motor
dysfunctions, but it is unclear whether this is part of the disease process or an adaptive …

Synchronized oscillatory neuronal activity in the beta frequency range has been observed in
the basal ganglia of Parkinson's disease patients and hypothesized to be antikinetic. The …

Striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) integrate and convey information from the
cerebral cortex to the output nuclei of the basal ganglia. Intracellular recordings from …