Striatal direct and indirect pathways control decision-making behavior

Frontiers in Psychology

Tom Macpherson¹ 

关键词: nucleus accumbens;    dorsal striatum;    medium spiny neurons;    direct striatal pathway;    indirect striatal pathway;    social behavior;    goal-directed behavior;    action selection;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01301

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Despite our ever-changing environment, animals are remarkably adept at selecting courses of action that are predictive of optimal outcomes. While requiring the contribution of a number of brain regions, a vast body of evidence implicates striatal mechanisms of associative learning and action selection to be critical to this ability. While numerous models of striatal-based decision-making have been developed, it is only recently that we have begun to understand the precise contributions of specific subpopulations of striatal neurons. Studies utilizing contemporary cell-type-specific technologies indicate that striatal output pathways play distinct roles in controlling goal-directed and social behaviors. Here we review current models of striatal-based decision-making, discuss recent developments in defining the functional roles of striatal output pathways, and assess how striatal dysfunction may contribute to the etiology of various neuropathologies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY