Striatal morphology as a biomarker in neurodegenerative disease

The striatum, comprising the caudate nucleus, putamen and nucleus accumbens, occupies a strategic location within cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic-cortical (corticostriatal) re-entrant neural circuits. Striatal neurodevelopment is precisely determined by phylogenetically conserved homeobox genes. Consisting primarily of medium spiny neurons, the striatum is strictly topographically organized based on cortical afferents and efferents. Particular corticostriatal neural circuits are considered to subserve certain domains of cognition, emotion and behaviour. Thus, the striatum may serve as a map of structural change in the cortical afferent pathways owing to deafferentation or neuroplasticity, and conversely, structural change in the striatum per se may structurally disrupt corticostriatal pathways. The morphology of the striatum may be quantified in vivo using advanced magnetic resonance imaging, as may cognitive functioning pertaining to corticostriatal circuits. It is proposed that striatal morphology may be a biomarker in neurodegenerative disease and potentially the basis of an endophenotype.