Intrinsic circuits of the striatum: Complexity and clinical correlations

The striatum is the input component of the basal ganglia circuits. It provides a hub for the interaction among multiple afferents and local intrastriatal networks that regulate basal ganglia function. Via their distinct cortical connections, different components of the striatum are key elements for control of different aspects of behavior: the nucleus accumbens is primarily involved in reward-based action learning, the caudate nucleus in goal-based action selection, and the putamen in habit formation and action sequencing.