This volume is the first comprehensive and single-authored book on the functions of the basal ganglia. The goal is to provide a new synthesis of diverse areas of research on the basal ganglia, from cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity to neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavior. A global theory of basal ganglia function incorporating research from the last 40 years is presented. I hope to explain for the first time how the basal ganglia generate behavior, how they contribute to learning and memory, and how impairments in basal ganglia function can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Features
- The only single-authored book on the basal ganglia with coverage of the latest literature
- Spans multiple levels of analysis, from cellular physiology to behavior
- Includes coverage of clinical symptoms, encompassing neuropsychology, movement disorders, and psychiatric disorders
- Discusses the role of the basal ganglia in learning and memory
1. Introduction
2. Anatomical Organization of the Basal Ganglia
3. Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in the Basal Ganglia
4. Current Ideas on BG Function
5. Behavior and Control
6. The Place of the BG in the Hierarchy
7. Transition Control
8. Higher-Order Transitions and Cognition
9. Motivation
10. Actions and Goals
11. Corticostriatal Contributions to Habits and Behavioral Automaticity
12. Dopamine and Reinforcement Learning
13. Reorganization, Exploration, and Plasticity
14. Interpretation of Clinical Symptoms
15. Synthesis
Biography
Henry Yin is currently a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. Yin received his B.A. from Washington University in St Louis and his Ph.D. from UCLA. Yin’s research has, from the very start, focused on the function of the basal ganglia, combining different levels of analysis, from cellular to behavioral mechanisms. He has published over 50 papers on various aspects of basal ganglia function.
