Striatum

The striatum, also known as the neostriatum or striate nucleus, is a subcortical part of the forebrain and a critical component of the reward system. It receives glutamatergic and dopaminergic inputs from different sources and serves as the primary input to the basal ganglia system. In all primates, the dorsal striatum is divided by a white matter tract called the internal capsule into two sectors called the caudate nucleus and the putamen. The ventral striatum is composed of the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle in primates. Functionally, the striatum coordinates multiple aspects of cognition, including motor and action planning, decision-making, motivation, reinforcement, and reward perception.

The corpus striatum, a macrostructure which contains the striatum, is composed of the entire striatum and the globus pallidus. The lenticular nucleus refers to the putamen together with the globus pallidus.

Structure

Cell types

The striatum is heterogeneous in terms of its component neurons.