Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance
Published on: March 19, 2020
Role of the basal ganglia in balance control
Jasper E Visser1, Bastiaan R Bloem
1Department of Neurology, University Medical Center St Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.visser@neuro.umcn.nl
Abstract:
In this review paper, we summarize the important contributions of the basal ganglia to the regulation of postural control. After a brief overview of basal ganglia circuitries, the emphasis is on clinical observations in patients with focal lesions in parts of the basal ganglia, as the impairments seen here can serve to highlight the normal functions of the basal ganglia nuclei in postural control. Two particularly relevant functions are discussed in detail: first, the contribution of the basal ganglia to flexibility and to gaining control of balance-correcting responses, including the ability to lend priority to the elements of a postural task; and second, processing afferent information by the basal ganglia, which is increasingly recognized as being highly relevant for postural control.
Related Concept Videos
Indirect Motor Pathways
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
Equilibrium and Balance
Brainstem
The Midbrain
The midbrain is located beneath the diencephalon and connects the cerebrum with the lower parts of the brain. The cerebral peduncles are prominent midbrain structures that house the...
The Vestibular System

