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The striatum is a structure in the forebrain that is part of the basal ganglia and responsible for movement control, motivation, and rewards. It is vulnerable to damage from strokes and diseases, and disruptions in signals between neurons can cause movement disorders.
The striatum, or simply striatum, is a structure located in the forebrain in humans and many other animals. It is part of the basal ganglia, a group of structures responsible for movement control that also play a role in motivation and rewards. This area of the brain is involved in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Research continues to be conducted on the structure and its function in the brain.
This structure is buried deep in the forebrain. The term “corpus striatum” means “striped body” and is a reference to its striped appearance. Different types of tissue are present in layers, making the striped structure of gray, white, and other colors look like cream in a healthy brain. It can only be seen by dissecting the brain, although medical imaging studies can be used to approximate its shape, size, and appearance without disrupting the brain tissue.
The caudate, putamen, and internal capsule are all part of the striatum, and the structure is supplied with blood from the striatal artery. It comprises very dense bundles of motor neurons and is vulnerable to damage from strokes and diseases that create lesions in the brain. Because so many functions are concentrated in this small area, it is a devastating place to receive a brain injury from disease.
In healthy individuals, the striatum regulates movement with the assistance of dense bundles of motor neurons and associated neurotransmitters. In people with movement disorders, signals between neurons are disrupted. Some people may have jerky or erratic movements, tremors, or involuntary movements. Others may have difficulty moving due to damage to this part of the brain.
Striated arteries are narrow and can be the site of strokes, including both hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes, characterized by bleeding and oxygen deprivation, respectively. Treating strokes in this area of the brain is challenging due to the buried nature of the arteries. The area can also be attacked by demyelinating diseases and other conditions that create plaques and lesions in the brain and central nervous system. The lesions erode neurons, interfere with nerve conduction, and can cause significant damage. While the brain is adaptable and able to rewire many pathways over time, it needs an alternate pathway for these new pathways, and one isn’t always available when damage is in this area of the brain.
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