title: [Motor and cognitive functions of the basal ganglia].
abstract: Basal ganglia have been known as a motor center because their lesions cause motor disturbances in involuntary movements such as chorea, ballism or akinesia in Parkinsonism. The different types of involuntary movements are closely related to the underlying muscle tone. Mechanisms of bradykinesia or akinesia have been elaborated in physiological studies on Parkinson's disease, and the significance of sensorimotor processing or attention, arousal has been disclosed as a relevant factor of bradykinesia. Cognitive functions of the basal ganglia have attracted attention, particularly in the disorder of Parkinson's disease. Subcortical dementia, difficulty in formation or changes of concepts, is encountered in advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. Whether cognitive functions in the frontostriatal system are primarily related to the motor function of the brain is an issue for future study.
authors.affiliation: Chubu National Hospital, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Obu, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*