Basal Ganglia
At autopsy, she is found to have a large right basal ganglia hemorrhage.
What our notes say
- At autopsy, she is found to have a large right basal ganglia hemorrhage. (CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- The indirect pathway is the movement-suppressing pathway of the basal ganglia. (END YEAR PP1 & PP2 2025 Physiology: MCQs for Medical School Exams)
- She then suffers a 'stroke' with a right basal ganglia hemorrhage and dies. (renal pathology — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- A head CT scan shows a 4 cm area of bright attenuation in the left basal ganglia region. (CNS PATHOLOGY — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- Regions most involved include the basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalams, and brainstem. (CNS PATHOLOGY — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- Patients have decreased serum ceruloplasmin, the copper-carrying protein, and increased tissue deposition of copper, particularly in liver, eye, and basal ganglia of brain. (Gastrointestinal and liver — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
Study material on Basal Ganglia
- MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY II ESsays
- Medical Physiology Pp2 Year 2
- CNS PATHOLOGY
- Medical Physiology II (Paper 2)
- Cerebrovascular Disease: Stroke, Ischemia & Hemorrhage Explained
- Cerebrovascular Disease: Stroke, Ischemia & Hemorrhage Explained
- Medical Physiology Ii
- GIT and CNS Physiology MCQs
- Medical Physiology IV (CNS)
Practice questions on Basal Ganglia
A 44-year-old woman dies of a basal ganglia hemorrhage. She has LVH (550g heart), small scarred kidneys, and arterioles with concentric intimal thickening. Most likely condition?
- Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
- Diabetes mellitus type II
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Hypertensive emergency
Answer: D. LVH + CNS hemorrhage + small kidneys + hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis = malignant hypertension with multi-organ end-organ damage. ---
Which of the following structures is not considered to be part of the basal ganglia?
- Caudate nucleus
- Dentate nucleus
- Substantia nigra
- Putamen
- Globus pallidus
Answer: A. The dentate nucleus is part of the cerebellum, not the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia includes the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nucleus. The dentate nucleus is the largest of the deep cerebellar nuclei and is involved in motor planning and coordination. ---
Which component of the basal ganglia plays the major role in the control of cognitive (memory-guided) motor activity?
- Globus pallidus
- Substantia nigra
- Caudate nucleus
- Putamen
- Subthalamic nucleus
Answer: C. The caudate nucleus is part of the associative circuit of the basal ganglia and plays a major role in cognitive aspects of motor control, including memory-guided movements and executive motor functions. The putamen is more involved in automatic motor patterns, while the other structures have different roles in basal ganglia function. ---
A wide variety of neurotransmitters have been identified in the cell bodies and afferent synaptic terminals in the basal ganglia. A deficiency of which of the following transmitters is typically associated with Parkinson disease?
- Norepinephrine
- Dopamine
- Serotonin
- GABA
- Substance P
Answer: B. Parkinson's disease is characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to dopamine deficiency in the striatum. This dopamine deficiency is responsible for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Treatment often involves dopamine replacement therapy. ---
The following neurotransmitter is primarily responsible for the inhibitory effects seen in the basal ganglia direct pathway, facilitating movement:
- Dopamine
- Acetylcholine
- GABA
- Serotonin
Answer: C. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. In the basal ganglia, GABAergic neurons project from the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata to the thalamus, inhibiting thalamic activity to regulate movement. Dopamine (A) has a complex modulatory role, often excitatory in the direct pathway via D1 receptors. Acetylcholine (B) is involved in interneurons. Seroto
Basal ganglia neurotransmitters include all except ---
- GABA
- Dopamine
- Glutamate
- Glycine
- Reduced by routine feedback control
Answer: D.