Indirect Pathway of Caudal Basal Ganglia for Rejection of Valueless Visual Objects

Through experience, we learn to distinguish visual objects associated with desirable or undesirable outcomes. It has been hypothesized that the direct and indirect pathways in the basal ganglia underlie the facilitation and suppression of behaviors towards objects associated with high vs. low values, but the exact contribution of different areas within the basal ganglia still remains poorly understood. Using a combination of anatomical tracing, single-neuron recording, and antidromic collision methods, this study elucidates the function of the primate caudate tail and the caudal-ventral part of the globus pallidus externus in suppressing undesirable actions for low-value objects.

by DY Lee