Striatum
Striatum - Related Videos
04:15
Stereotactic Microinjection of a Viral Vector for Gene Manipulation in a Mouse Pup Striatum
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2025
Source: Chen, S., et al., Stereotaxic Surgery for Genetic Manipulation in Striatal Cells of Neonatal Mouse Brains. J. Vis. Exp. (2018)This video demonstrates the stereotaxic injection of a viral vector encoding Cre recombinase and green fluorescence protein or GFP into the striatum of a genetically modified mouse pup to achieve gene manipulation by excising a loxP-flanked STOP cassette, activating red fluorescence protein or RFP as a reporter.
06:00
Cortex-, Hippocampus-, Thalamus-, Hypothalamus-, Lateral Septal Nucleus- and Striatum-specific In Utero Electroporation in the C57BL/6 Mouse
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Cited by 14 •
2016
This protocol describes in detail how to specifically transfect different regions in the C57BL/6 central nervous system via in utero electroporation. Included in this protocol are detailed instructions for transfections of regions that develop into the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, lateral septal nucleus and striatum.
07:41
Modeling Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry Data from Electrically Stimulated Dopamine Neurotransmission Data Using QNsim1.0
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Cited by 2 •
2017
Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry can monitor in vivo dopamine neurotransmission in the context of drugs, disease, and other experimental manipulations. This work describes the implementation of QNsim1.0, a software to model electrically stimulated dopamine responses according to the quantitative neurobiological model to quantify estimates of dopamine release and reuptake dynamics.
08:24
Dissection and Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic and Striatal Explants in Three-Dimensional Collagen Matrix Assays
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Cited by 13 •
2012
Explants from the midbrain dopamine system and striatum are used in a collagen matrix assay for the in vitro analysis of mesostriatal and striatonigral pathway development. In this assay axonal outgrowth and guidance can be manipulated and quantified. It can also be modified for assessing other regions or molecular cues.
10:44
Modeling Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice: Injection of Autologous Blood or Bacterial Collagenase
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Cited by 60 •
2012
Clinically relevant animal models of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are needed to extend our knowledge of hemorrhagic stroke and to examine novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we describe and evaluate two ICH models that implement unilateral injections of either autologous whole blood or bacterial collagenase into the basal ganglia (corpus striatum) of mice.
FAQs
The direct and indirect pathways provide two organized routes through which striatal activity shapes basal ganglia output. Their distinction matters because the striatum does not simply transmit incoming information; it helps regulate which actions are selected through pathway-specific processing. Comparing these routes gives researchers a framework for connecting circuit activity with movement and behavioral choice.
Signals from the cerebral cortex and thalamus carry information into striatal circuits, while midbrain dopamine provides a distinct modulatory input. Considering these sources together helps explain how sensory or contextual information can be combined with reward-related signals before influencing basal ganglia output. This integration is central to studying perception, motivation, learning, and chosen behavior.
Dopamine input is important because it connects midbrain signaling with striatal processing involved in learning, motivation, and action selection. Examining this input helps investigators study how reward-related information influences circuit function. This perspective also makes dopamine-related changes relevant to disorders in which movement, motivation, or behavioral patterns become disrupted.
Medium spiny neurons are a key output element within the striatum because they release GABA into basal ganglia circuits. Their activity provides a mechanism by which integrated cortical, thalamic, and dopamine-related signals can affect downstream processing. Focusing on these neurons helps relate cellular signaling to broader changes in movement and behavioral selection.
A biologically informative study should consider cortical and thalamic inputs, midbrain dopamine, GABA-releasing medium spiny neurons, and the direct and indirect pathways together. Examining these elements as a connected system helps researchers interpret how information related to sensory signals, rewards, learning, or motivation may influence action selection and basal ganglia output.
Striatal research can connect neural circuits to behavior by examining how cortical and thalamic information is integrated with dopamine input and processed through GABA-releasing medium spiny neurons. Researchers can then relate this circuit organization to movement, motivation, learning, rewards, and behavioral choices, keeping cellular mechanisms connected to observable biological functions.
Studying striatal dysfunction is valuable because the same circuit is associated with several distinct conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, addiction, and disorders involving movement, motivation, or habit formation. Comparing these conditions helps biology researchers ask whether altered striatal processing affects motor control, reward-related behavior, or persistent behavioral patterns.
The striatum provides a biological context for investigating how rewards become linked to behavioral choices and repeated actions. By examining its cortical, thalamic, dopamine, and medium spiny neuron connections, researchers can study circuit relationships relevant to motivation, learning, addiction, and habit formation. This connects reward-related signals with enduring patterns of behavior.