The Basal Ganglia comprise a group of forebrain nuclei that are interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and brainstem. Basal ganglia circuits are involved in various functions, including motor control and learning, sensorimotor integration, reward and cognition. The importance of these nuclei for normal brain function and behavior is emphasized by the numerous and diverse disorders associated with basal ganglia dysfunction, including Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dystonia, and psychostimulant addiction.
The Handbook of Basal Ganglia provides a comprehensive overview of the structural and functional organization of the basal ganglia, with special emphasis on the progress achieved over the last 10-15 years. Organized in six parts, the volume describes the general anatomical organization and provides a review of the evolution of the basal ganglia, followed by detailed accounts of recent advances in anatomy, cellular/molecular, and cellular/physiological mechanisms, and our understanding of the behavioral and clinical aspects of basal ganglia function and dysfunction.
- Synthesizes widely dispersed information on the behavioral neurobiology of the basal ganglia, including advances in the understanding of anatomy, cell-molecular and cell-physiological mechanisms, and behavioral/clinical aspects of function and dysfunction
- Features a truly international cast of the preeminent researchers in the field
- Fully explores the clinically relevant impact of the basal ganglia on various psychiatric and neurological diseases
Heinz Steiner is Professor and Chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Steiner is an expert on the functional organization of the basal ganglia and related brain systems. His research focuses, in particular, on the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the regulation of basal ganglia–cortical interactions; his recent investigations examine how chronic enhancement of dopamine actions produce changes in gene regulation, and how these molecular alterations affect basal ganglia function and behavior. He has been the North America Regional Editor for the journal Basal Ganglia since 2011.
Kuei Y. Tseng is Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Tseng’s research focuses on the neural bases of Parkinson’s disease, particularly the effects of dopamine loss within the cortico–basal ganglia circuitry and the mechanisms underlying information processing in the brains of individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease. He is the editor of two books on the cortex.
