Basal Ganglia and Cerebellar Circuits with the Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

What are the functions of the basal ganglia and cerebellum? It is now clear that output of the basal ganglia and cerebellum targets motor, premotor, prefrontal, posterior parietal, and inferotemporal areas of cortex. These connections provide the basal ganglia and cerebellum with the anatomical substrate to influence not only the control of movement, but also many aspects of cognitive behavior like planning, working memory, sequential behavior, visuospatial perception, and attention. Similarly, abnormal activity in specific basal ganglia and cerebellar loops with the cerebral cortex may contribute to a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thus, defining the cortical targets of the basal ganglia and cerebellum provides important insights into their diverse motor and nonmotor function.