title: GABAergic circuits in the basal ganglia and movement disorders.
abstract: GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia, and GABAergic pathways dominate information processing in most areas of these structures. It is therefore not surprising that abnormalities of GABAergic transmission are key elements in pathophysiologic models of movement disorders involving the basal ganglia. These include hypokinetic diseases such as Parkinson's disease, and hyperkinetic diseases, such as Huntington's disease or hemiballism. In this chapter, we will briefly review the major anatomic features of the GABAergic pathways in the basal ganglia, and then describe in greater detail the changes of GABAergic transmission, which are known to occur in movement disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. agalvan@emory.edu
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galvan
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wichmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018757:GABA Modulators; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid