dopaminergic cells embedded within the SNr. Taken together, the interface between different striatal regions via the midbrain DA cells is organized in an ascending spiral interconnecting different functional regions of the striatum (Figure 6). Through this spiral of inputs and outputs between the striatum and midbrain DA neurons, information can flow from limbic to cognitive to motor circuits, providing a mechanism by which motivation and cognition can influence motor decision-making processes and appropriate responses to environmental cues.
