Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
05:39
A Fine Motor Task to Study Joint Kinematics in a Preclinical Model of Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: June 13, 2025
Striatal microcircuitry and movement disorders.
Aryn H Gittis1, Anatol C Kreitzer
1Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Trends in Neurosciences
|August 4, 2012
Summary
Changes in GABAergic interneurons within the basal ganglia network are linked to movement disorders. Targeting these unique interneurons offers potential therapeutic strategies for basal ganglia dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- The basal ganglia network integrates context, actions, and outcomes to guide behavior based on experience.
- Basal ganglia dysfunction is clinically significant, particularly in movement disorders.
- GABAergic interneurons are increasingly recognized for their crucial role in regulating basal ganglia circuit function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence linking alterations in striatal GABAergic microcircuits to basal ganglia dysfunction in movement disorders.
- To highlight the potential of GABAergic interneurons as therapeutic targets.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing research on basal ganglia structure and function.
- Analysis of studies investigating striatal GABAergic microcircuits.
- Examination of the role of interneurons in movement disorders.
Main Results:
- Changes in striatal GABAergic microcircuits are implicated in the pathophysiology of several movement disorders.
- GABAergic interneurons possess unique genetic and neurochemical properties distinct from striatal projection neurons.
Conclusions:
- Dysfunctional striatal GABAergic microcircuits contribute to basal ganglia disorders.
- The unique characteristics of interneurons make them promising therapeutic targets for striatal-based conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
01:22Indirect Motor Pathways
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
01:12Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...
01:27Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.
01:11Direct Motor Pathways
The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...