The brain is a complex structure that is made up of many parts/structures that vary in size, purpose, and functioning. A small structure, known as the Caudate Nucleus, plays a significant role in several important functions despite its size. So, what is the Caudate Nucleus?
Small in size, the Caudate Nucleus is considered the major input station of the Basal Ganglia. The Caudate Nucleus is responsible for several motor and cognitive functions. This structure consists of many interneurons and dopamine neurons essential for successful functioning.
Although the Caudate Nucleus is not one of the most popular or well-known parts of the brain, it should be. To learn more about this structure, keep reading! Below we discuss the location, the physiological make-up, the purpose, function, and dysfunction of the Caudate Nucleus.
The Structure And Location Of The Caudate NucleusThe Physiological Makeup Of The Caudate NucleusThe Purpose And Function Of The Caudate NucleusLesions On The Caudate NucleusWhat Disorders Are Associated With The Caudate Nucleus?Conclusion
The Structure And Location Of The Caudate Nucleus
The Physiological Makeup Of The Caudate Nucleus
The Purpose And Function Of The Caudate Nucleus
Lesions On The Caudate Nucleus
What Disorders Are Associated With The Caudate Nucleus?
Conclusion
TheCaudate Nucleuscomprises three parts, namely thehead(caput), thebody(corpus), and thetail(cauda).
The Caudate Nucleus’s head and body form part of the lateral ventricle’s anterior horn floor. The body runs towards the back of the head, where the tail slightly curves back toward the anterior to form the lateral ventricle’s inferior horn roof.
The Definition Of The Caudate Nucleus
The Caudate Nucleus is aC-shaped structureand one of many that make up theCorpus Striatum, a component of the Basal Ganglia/Basal Nuclei.
The Location Of The Caudate Nucleus
Within each hemisphere of the brain, one can find a Caudate Nucleus. This means there are two in total, one on each side of the brain. The Caudate Nuclei are located in the center of the brain, below theCerebral Cortexand next to thelateral ventricles.
The Caudate Nucleus is also next to the Putamen.Bridges of grey matterlink these two structures.
The Caudate Nucleus consists of medium spiny neurons that useGABAas their primary neurotransmitter. Theaxons of these neuronstravel to other Basal Ganglia parts/components.
Other neurons exist within this part of the brain; they are listed below:
The Caudate Nucleus is part of theBasal Ganglia, a group of subcortical nuclei responsible for many cognitive and emotional functions and body movement. Thepurposeof the Caudate Nucleus is to controlvoluntary movementsand thebrain’s learningandmemory system.
The Motor Function Of The Caudate Nucleus
Accomplishing movement requires the Basal Ganglia to receive information from theCortexregarding movements that have to be made. The information first travels via apathwayknown as theCorticostriatal Pathwayto the Caudate Nucleus, as this structure is one of the primary input nuclei for the Basal Ganglia.
The Neurons in the Caudate Nucleus extend to other parts of the Basal Ganglia. These neurons contain the neurotransmitter GABA, responsible for creating pathways to facilitate movements.
The Cognitive Function Of The Caudate Nucleus
The Caudate Nucleus’s anterior portion connects with the lateral and medial prefrontal cortices. Together, this small structure is responsible forworking memoryandexecutive functioning.
The head of the Caudate Nucleus controls these cognitive functions as this part is seen as this structure’s cognitive and emotional portion. The head of the Caudate Nucleus is connected to the medial frontal pole. The middle section of the Caudate Nucleus is responsible for receiving input from the prefrontal cortex.
Furthermore, the Caudate Nucleus is also responsible for theAssociation learning function. The Caudate Nucleus’s body and tail control learning acquisition, while the head is responsible for processing feedback on learning trials.
Other Cognitive Functions Of The Caudate Nucleus:
Hemorrhages and strokes mostly causelesions to the Caudate Nucleus. However,hypercholesterolemiaanddiabetesalso contribute significantly to potential lesions to the Caudate Nucleus.
1. Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Diseaseis acommon progressive brain disorderthat gradually destroys memory and thinking skills, resulting in the inability to carry out basic tasks.
With Alzheimer’s Disease, damages first occur in parts of the brain that are responsible for memory, such as theEntorhinal CortexandHippocampus.
As this disease progresses, damages become more significant, with the Cerebral Cortex being the next target. The areas in theCerebral Cortexthat become damaged are responsible for social behavior, reasoning, and language.
Furthermore, as aprogressive brain disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease has differentstages. With each stage, the symptoms are different. These stages include:
The table below lists thesymptoms of mild, moderate, and severeAlzheimer’s Disease.
Symptoms Of Mild Alzheimer’s DiseaseSymptoms Of Moderate Alzheimer’s DiseaseSymptoms Of Severe Alzheimer’s DiseaseMemory loss.Memory loss and confusion.Losing the ability to communicate.Changes in mood and personality.Unable to recognize family and friends.Increased weight loss.Losing or misplacing things in unusual places.Difficulty with writing or reading.Losing control of one’s bowel and bladder.Constantly repeating what one has said.Unable to think logically and organize thoughts.Seizures.Wandering off and getting lost.Difficulty with performing simple tasks such as getting dressed.Sleeping more than usual.Anxiety and aggression.Paranoia and hallucinations.Unusual sound making such as moaning or grunting.
In 2013 a study was conducted which resulted in researchers finding a link betweenAlzheimer’s Diseaseand theCordate Nucleus. In the study, researchers compared MRI images of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease to those of individuals who did not have the disease.
After the comparison, researchers identified areduction in the caudate volumeof patients suffering from this disease.
2. Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Diseaseusually develops when nerve cells in theBasal Gangliaare impaired or die. As mentioned above, theCaudate Nucleus forms part of this important structurewhich is responsible for controlling movements.
Thenerve cells/neuronsin the Basal Ganglia produce the chemical dopamine. However, when these neurons die or get damaged, they cannot produce this chemical, which results in movement problems associated with Parkinson’s Disease. Therefore, this disease depletesdopaminergic neuronsfound in thenigrostriatal tract.
3. Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s Diseaseis arare and inherited conditionthat results in thedegeneration/breakdownofnerve cells in the brain, causing parts of the brain tostop workingovertime.
With Huntington’s Disease, researchers found that agenetic mutation occurs in the HTT gene, which causes the production of theHtt protein.The production of this mutated protein is extremely dangerous as the Htt protein negatively interacts with more than 100 other proteins and is toxic to several cell types in the brain.
This disease is known to causemovement,cognitiveandpsychiatric disorders. Each disorder has its own unique symptoms. The table below lists the symptoms associated with these three disorders.
In the early stagesof Huntington’s disease, researchers identified that damages were most evident in what is known as theStriatum, which is composed of theCaudate Nucleusand thePutamen. These damages often result inStriatum atrophy(degeneration), Caudate Nucleus atrophy, and cause changes in the binding potential ofdopamine receptorsin the Caudate Nucleus.
4. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is acommon neurodevelopmental disorderthat affects one’s behavior. There arethree ways ADHD presentsitself:
Thesymptoms of this disorderare different as it depends on the way ADHD presents itself. The table below displays the symptoms associated with each of these ways.
The Symptoms Associated With Predominantly Inattentive PresentationThe Symptoms Associated With Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive PresentationThe Symptoms Associated With Combined PresentationDifficulty with organizing and finishing tasks.Fidgeting.The symptoms of Combined Presentation combine the symptoms of the other two discussed.Having trouble paying attention.Talking a lot.Unable to follow instructions.Unable to sit still.Easily distracted.Lack of impulse control.Forgets things easily.Restlessness.
Researchers found that individuals with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder had abnormallylow levelsofneurotransmitterstransmittingdopamineandnoradrenalinebetween theprefrontal cortical areaand theBasal Ganglia.With the Caudate Nucleus being part of the Basal Ganglia, this structure receives low dopamine levels, resulting in the various symptoms discussed above.
With all that said, the Caudate Nucleus is, without a doubt, a very important structure within the brain. This C-shaped structure that forms part of the Basal Ganglia might be small and not as well-known as the other parts of the brain, but it sure is involved in many essential motor and cognitive functions.
References
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/caudate-nucleus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudate_nucleus
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html
Related posts:Basal Ganglia (Function, Location, Parts)Basal Forebrain (Location + Function)Diencephalon (Location, Function, and Parts)What Does the Thalamus Do?Anterior Horn (Location and Function)
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Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2022, August).Caudate Nucleus (Location + Functions).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/caudate-nucleus/.Practical Psychology. (2022, August). Caudate Nucleus (Location + Functions). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/caudate-nucleus/.Copy
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Practical Psychology. (2022, August).Caudate Nucleus (Location + Functions).Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/caudate-nucleus/.Practical Psychology. (2022, August). Caudate Nucleus (Location + Functions). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/caudate-nucleus/.Copy
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