The
basal ganglia is roughly defined as the areas in the brain that, if damaged, would disrupt motor abilities. The exact definition has changed with increased understanding of the functioning of the brain. The most common definition includes the following areas:
caudate nucleus[?],
globus pallidus[?],
putamen, and the
substantia nigra.
- Nolte, John, The Human Brain: An Introduction to its Functional Anatomy (Fifth Edition). (St. Louis: Mosby, Inc., 2002), 464-484. ISBN 0-323-01320-1