The Integrative Functions of the Basal Ganglia

The proposed volume is the first comprehensive and single-authored book on the functions of the basal ganglia. The goal is to provide a new synthesis of diverse areas of research on the basal ganglia, from cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity to neural circuit mechanisms underlying behaviour. A global theory of basal ganglia function will be presented that incorporates research from the last 40 years. I hope to explain for the first time how the basal ganglia generate behaviour, how they contribute to learning and memory, and how impairments in basal ganglia function can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders.