Basal ganglia--input, neural activity, and relation to the cortex.

In the past year new findings on the physiology and anatomy of the basal ganglia in relation to motor control systems have increased the debate about which aspects of movement control are determined at higher levels of the motor system. In addition, studies on gene regulation in the striatum have shown that behaviorally important drugs affect transmitter levels and induce changes in transcription factor expression. The cloning of dopamine receptor subtypes, and findings on neurotropic and neuroprotective effects on nigrostriatal cells, are leading to new strategies for research and clinical therapy.