SubstantiaNigra

Part of the BasalGanglia. Darkly pigmented.

Parts

SubstantiaNigraParsCompacta (SNc) and the SubstantiaNigraParsReticulata? (SNr?). The SNc is the dopamine-producing part.

Inputs

SNr? receives input from the caudate and putamen.

Connections that are both inputs and outputs

Between SNc and the [[caudate?]] and putamen.

Outputs

SNr? sends inhibiting output to the brainstem

Microanatomy

• Fujiyama et al ‘02: Synaptic localization of GABAA receptor subunits in the substantia nigra of the rat

Electrophysiology

• Schultz et al ‘93: Responses of monkey dopamine neurons to reward and conditioned stimuli during successive steps of learning a delayed response task

Pathological Connections

Death of dopamine producing cells in this region is the cause of ParkinsonsDisease. There are about 200,000 of these on each side.

Functions

See (Schultz et al ‘93) for some interesting data and speculation.

References

• Fumino Fujiyama, F. Anne Stephenson, J. Paul Bolam. Synaptic localization of GABAA receptor subunits in the substantia nigra of the rat: effects of quinolinic acid lesions of the striatum. European Journal of Neuroscience 15 (12), 1961–1975. (2002)
• Schultz W, Apicella P, Ljungberg T. Responses of monkey dopamine neurons to reward and conditioned stimuli during successive steps of learning a delayed response task. J Neurosci. Mar;13(3):900-13. (1993)

CategoryBasalGanglia.

CategoryAnatomical