Corticostriatal circuitry

Abstract

Corticostriatal connections play a central role in developing appropriate goal-directed behaviors, including the motivation and cognition to develop appropriate actions to obtain a specific outcome. The cortex projects to the striatum topographically. Thus, different regions of the striatum have been associated with these different functions: the ventral striatum with reward; the caudate nucleus with cognition; and the putamen with motor control. However, corticostriatal connections are more complex, and interactions between functional territories are extensive. These interactions occur in specific regions in which convergence of terminal fields from different functional cortical regions are found. This article provides an overview of the connections of the cortex to the striatum and their role in integrating information across reward, cognitive, and motor functions. Emphasis is placed on the interface between functional domains within the striatum.