The putamen is part of the basal ganglia in the brain, involved in regulating movement and learning. It works with dopamine to regulate movement and acetylcholine for learning. Parkinson’s disease can affect the putamen, causing movement, speech, and learning difficulties.
The putamen is a structure in the brain that is part of the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia are a series of related structures located at the base of the forebrain and are involved in a number of different processes, particularly in the regulation of movement and learning. Disorders in the basal ganglia can cause a variety of ailments, depending on the areas affected and the nature of the disorder.
In the case of the putamen, the structure is part of a larger structure known as the dorsal striatum or simply the striatum. Together with the caudate nucleus, the putamen sends messages to other areas of the basal ganglia to regulate various activities, and receives messages from the cerebral cortex which it uses to formulate new messages. This happens on an unconscious level; essentially this area of the brain is on autopilot.
Along with other parts of the basal ganglia, the putamen is involved in body movement, with the assistance of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter produced in different areas of the brain. The basal ganglia regulate movements to keep them smooth and even and to allow for a high degree of control and precision when it comes to movement. In some neurological disorders, these functions are impaired and people develop tremors, involuntary repetitive movements, and other movement disorders because their basal ganglia don’t communicate properly with each other or with the rest of the brain. These movement disorders are separate from disorders caused by nerve damage.
The putamen also plays a role in learning, particularly reinforcement learning, which is also linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine. This structure contains a number of cholinergic neurons that respond to acetylcholine, another neurotransmitter that appears to be involved in learning. When people interact with their environment, these neurotransmitters are activated as part of the system that allows the brain to store information gained, including information about positive outcomes that can be used to repeat those outcomes in the future.
A common neurological condition that can involve the putamen is Parkinson’s disease. People with the condition don’t make enough dopamine and aren’t as sensitive to it as other people. They develop movement disorders as well as speech and learning difficulties. More studies of the brain and the complex interconnections within it are needed to learn more about why diseases like Parkinson’s occur and what can be done to treat or prevent them.
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