Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this video, I discuss the anatomy and physiology of the basal ganglia—a group of structures that play a key role in movement as well as a variety of non-motor functions. I cover the direct and indirect pathways, additional circuitry involved in non-motor functions, and several basal ganglia disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
0:00 Introduction to the basal ganglia
2:55 Direct pathway
4:23 Indirect pathway
5:54 Non-motor functions of the basal ganglia
7:39 Parkinson's disease
9:28 Huntington's disease
11:15 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
13:10 Tourette syndrome
🧠 Take your learning further with my free, self-paced Introduction to Neuroscience course featuring my videos, articles, and hundreds of quiz questions: neuroscientificallychallenged.com/course
If you're looking for accessible and entertaining ways to learn more about the brain, check out my books:
📚Your Brain, Explained: What Neuroscience Reveals About Your Brain and its Quirks: amazon.com/Your-Brain-Explained-Neuroscience-Reveals/dp/1473696569
📚Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us About How the Brain Works: amazon.com/Bizarre-Peculiar-Cases-Human-Behavior/dp/139980121X
Learn more on my website: neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/what-are-basal-ganglia
REFERENCES
Jahanshahi M, Obeso I, Rothwell JC, Obeso JA. A fronto-striato-subthalamic-pallidal network for goal-directed and habitual inhibition. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Dec;16(12):719-32. doi: 10.1038/nrn4038. Epub 2015 Nov 4.
Lanciego JL, Luquin N, Obeso JA. Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2012 Dec 1;2(12):a009621. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a009621.
McNaught KS, Mink JW. Advances in understanding and treatment of Tourette syndrome. Nat Rev Neurol. 2011 Nov 8;7(12):667-76. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2011.167.
Mink JW. The basal ganglia: focused selection and inhibition of competing motor programs. Prog Neurobiol. 1996 Nov;50(4):381-425.
Pauls DL, Abramovitch A, Rauch SL, Geller DA. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: an integrative genetic and neurobiological perspective. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014 Jun;15(6):410-24. doi: 10.1038/nrn3746. PMID: 24840803.
Purves D, Augustine GJ, Groh JM, Huettel SA, LaMantia AS, White LE, eds. Neuroscience. 7th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates; 2024.
Redgrave P, Costa RM. The Basal Ganglia. In: Kandel ER, Koester JD, Mack SH, Siegelbaum SA, eds. Principles of Neural Science, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2021.
Robertson MM, Eapen V, Singer HS, Martino D, Scharf JM, Paschou P, Roessner V, Woods DW, Hariz M, Mathews CA, Črnčec R, Leckman JF. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Feb 2;3:16097. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.97.
Saxena S, Rauch SL. Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000 Sep;23(3):563-86. doi: 10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7. PMID: 10986728.
Stein DJ, Costa DLC, Lochner C, Miguel EC, Reddy YCJ, Shavitt RG, van den Heuvel OA, Simpson HB. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019 Aug 1;5(1):52. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0102-3. PMID: 31371720; PMCID: PMC7370844.
Vanderah TW, Gould DJ. Nolte's The Human Brain. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021.
Walker FO. Huntington's disease. Lancet. 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):218-28.
📝 Pass your next test with my neuroscience videos!
I’m Marc, a university professor at Penn State, and I’m here to take you on a journey into the fascinating world of the brain. I created this channel to break down complex topics into easy-to-understand snippets—perfect for both students and curious minds alike. 📚
My goal is to make learning neuroscience fun and accessible. Whether you're a student looking to supplement your studies or simply eager to understand the basics of the brain, this channel is for you.
Hit subscribe and get to know your brain, one video at a time! 🧠
In this video, I discuss the anatomy and physiology of the basal ganglia—a group of structures that play a key role in movement as well as a variety of non-motor functions. I cover the direct and indirect pathways, additional circuitry involved in non-motor functions, and several basal ganglia disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
0:00 Introduction to the basal ganglia
2:55 Direct pathway
4:23 Indirect pathway
5:54 Non-motor functions of the basal ganglia
7:39 Parkinson's disease
9:28 Huntington's disease
11:15 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
13:10 Tourette syndrome
🧠 Take your learning further with my free, self-paced Introduction to Neuroscience course featuring my videos, articles, and hundreds of quiz questions: neuroscientificallychallenged.com/course
If you're looking for accessible and entertaining ways to learn more about the brain, check out my books:
📚Your Brain, Explained: What Neuroscience Reveals About Your Brain and its Quirks: amazon.com/Your-Brain-Explained-Neuroscience-Reveals/dp/1473696569
📚Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us About How the Brain Works: amazon.com/Bizarre-Peculiar-Cases-Human-Behavior/dp/139980121X
Learn more on my website: neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/what-are-basal-ganglia
REFERENCES
Jahanshahi M, Obeso I, Rothwell JC, Obeso JA. A fronto-striato-subthalamic-pallidal network for goal-directed and habitual inhibition. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Dec;16(12):719-32. doi: 10.1038/nrn4038. Epub 2015 Nov 4.
Lanciego JL, Luquin N, Obeso JA. Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2012 Dec 1;2(12):a009621. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a009621.
McNaught KS, Mink JW. Advances in understanding and treatment of Tourette syndrome. Nat Rev Neurol. 2011 Nov 8;7(12):667-76. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2011.167.
Mink JW. The basal ganglia: focused selection and inhibition of competing motor programs. Prog Neurobiol. 1996 Nov;50(4):381-425.
Pauls DL, Abramovitch A, Rauch SL, Geller DA. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: an integrative genetic and neurobiological perspective. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014 Jun;15(6):410-24. doi: 10.1038/nrn3746. PMID: 24840803.
Purves D, Augustine GJ, Groh JM, Huettel SA, LaMantia AS, White LE, eds. Neuroscience. 7th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates; 2024.
Redgrave P, Costa RM. The Basal Ganglia. In: Kandel ER, Koester JD, Mack SH, Siegelbaum SA, eds. Principles of Neural Science, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2021.
Robertson MM, Eapen V, Singer HS, Martino D, Scharf JM, Paschou P, Roessner V, Woods DW, Hariz M, Mathews CA, Črnčec R, Leckman JF. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Feb 2;3:16097. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.97.
Saxena S, Rauch SL. Functional neuroimaging and the neuroanatomy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2000 Sep;23(3):563-86. doi: 10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70181-7. PMID: 10986728.
Stein DJ, Costa DLC, Lochner C, Miguel EC, Reddy YCJ, Shavitt RG, van den Heuvel OA, Simpson HB. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019 Aug 1;5(1):52. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0102-3. PMID: 31371720; PMCID: PMC7370844.
Vanderah TW, Gould DJ. Nolte's The Human Brain. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021.
Walker FO. Huntington's disease. Lancet. 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):218-28.
📝 Pass your next test with my neuroscience videos!
I’m Marc, a university professor at Penn State, and I’m here to take you on a journey into the fascinating world of the brain. I created this channel to break down complex topics into easy-to-understand snippets—perfect for both students and curious minds alike. 📚
My goal is to make learning neuroscience fun and accessible. Whether you're a student looking to supplement your studies or simply eager to understand the basics of the brain, this channel is for you.
Hit subscribe and get to know your brain, one video at a time! 🧠
