Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.0K
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...
3.0K
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

4.1K
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...
4.1K
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

3.7K
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...
3.7K
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action01:18

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action

2.5K
Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists work by interacting with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic cleft. They can be reversible or irreversible inhibitors and have different effects on the enzyme.
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex,...
2.5K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

2.3K
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...
2.3K
Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents01:25

Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents

2.5K
Indirect-acting adrenergic agonists potentiate the effects of endogenous catecholamines through different mechanisms without directly binding to adrenoceptors.
One mechanism involves depleting stored catecholamines by displacing them from synaptic vesicles. These agents, known as "displacers," are transported into vesicles at the expense of noradrenaline. Examples include amphetamine and tyramine, which lack a catechol moiety, resulting in prolonged action, improved oral...
2.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Male Sapap3 knockout mice show threat bias under conflict during platform-mediated avoidance task: effects of extinction with response prevention and implications for obsessive compulsive disorder.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

Mimicking opioid analgesia in cortical pain circuits.

Nature·2026
Same author

Differential modulation of movement speed with state-dependent deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Persistent Threat Avoidance Following Negative Reinforcement Is Not Associated with Elevated State Anxiety.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2024
Same author

Striatal indirect pathway mediates hesitation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Hyperactivity of indirect pathway-projecting spiny projection neurons promotes compulsive behavior.

Nature communications·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
07:42

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents

Published on: August 2, 2018

14.3K

The striatal indirect pathway mediates hesitation.

Matthew A Geramita1,2, Susanne E Ahmari3,4, Eric A Yttri5,6

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. geramitama2@upmc.edu.

Nature Neuroscience
|December 5, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Hesitation, or pausing actions during uncertainty, is common but poorly understood. New research in mice reveals the indirect pathway in the dorsomedial striatum suppresses action when facing uncertainty.

More Related Videos

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

3.7K
New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat
09:45

New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat

Published on: January 23, 2017

8.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 9, 2026

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
07:42

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents

Published on: August 2, 2018

14.3K
In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

3.7K
New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat
09:45

New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat

Published on: January 23, 2017

8.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Hesitation, the act of pausing an action when faced with uncertainty, is a common human experience.
  • The specific neural mechanisms driving hesitation remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural circuitry underlying hesitation.
  • To establish a reliable experimental model for studying hesitation in mice.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel experimental paradigm to reliably induce hesitation in mice.
  • Analysis of neural activity within the dorsomedial striatum during hesitant behavior.

Main Results:

  • Hesitation was reliably evoked in the experimental paradigm.
  • Indirect pathway neurons, but not direct pathway neurons, in the dorsomedial striatum were found to mediate hesitation.
  • These findings implicate the indirect pathway in action suppression under conditions of uncertainty.

Conclusions:

  • The indirect pathway of the dorsomedial striatum plays a crucial role in suppressing actions when individuals encounter uncertainty.
  • This study provides novel insights into the neural basis of decision-making and action control under ambiguous conditions.