Updates and Discussions About Basal Ganglia and Their Circuits, Volume II

This Research Topic is part of an ongoing series. The previous volume, Updates and Discussions About Basal Ganglia and Their Circuits, highlighted recent advances and discussions on basal ganglia and related circuits.The basal ganglia represent one of the most extensively investigated subcortical systems in vertebrate brains. Historically associated with motor control, this group of nuclei includes the striatum, globus pallidus, substantia nigra and subthalamic nucleus. These structures are now widely recognized as key components of neural circuits involved in action selection, reinforcement learning, motivation and cognitive control. During the past decade, advances in neuroanatomical mapping, connectomics, molecular profiling and experimental manipulation have greatly expanded current knowledge of the structural and functional organization of basal ganglia circuits. Despite this progress, important questions remain regarding how these circuits operate across vertebrate lineages, how their cellular and neurochemical architectures diversified through evolution, and how circuit specializations relate to behavioural repertoires and vulnerability to disease.Recent studies increasingly indicate that basal ganglia organization cannot be fully understood from a single-species perspective. Comparative investigations across vertebrates have revealed both conserved structural principles and lineage-specific adaptations in basal ganglia nuclei and their associated networks. At the same time, experimental and clinical research continues to demonstrate the central role of basal ganglia dysfunction in a broad range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, dystonia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction. Although considerable progress has been made, a comprehensive framework integrating comparative anatomy, circuit dynamics and pathological mechanisms is still lacking.Building on the discussions initiated in the first volume of this Research Topic, the present collection aims to further advance the field by bringing together studies that examine basal ganglia circuits from integrative and cross-species perspectives. We welcome contributions addressing structural organization, connectivity patterns, neurochemical diversity and functional dynamics of basal ganglia nuclei across vertebrate taxa. Studies combining anatomical, molecular, physiological or computational approaches are particularly encouraged, as such integrative strategies can provide deeper insight into the principles governing basal ganglia circuitry and its role in behaviour and disease.This Research Topic seeks to promote a broader understanding of basal ganglia systems by integrating perspectives from comparative neurobiology, systems neuroscience and translational research. By bringing together findings obtained from different species and methodological approaches, the collection aims to stimulate new perspectives on how basal ganglia circuits evolved, how they contribute to the diversity of vertebrate behaviour and how their dysfunction leads to neurological and psychiatric disorders.This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, methodological papers and perspectives addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Comparative and evolutionary organization of basal ganglia circuits: studies examining conserved and divergent features of basal ganglia nuclei across vertebrate species, including anatomical, developmental and neurochemical perspectives.• Circuit architecture and functional dynamics of basal ganglia networks: investigations using anatomical tracing, connectomics, electrophysiology, computational modelling or molecular approaches to explore the organization and function of basal ganglia circuits.• Basal ganglia in action selection, learning and behavioural control: research addressing how basal ganglia circuits contribute to decision-making, reinforcement learning, habit formation and species-specific behavioural repertoires.• Cellular and molecular specializations of basal ganglia nuclei: studies focusing on cell-type diversity, neurochemical signalling, synaptic organization and molecular mechanisms underlying basal ganglia function.• Basal ganglia dysfunction and translational approaches: experimental and clinical studies investigating mechanisms of basal ganglia-related disorders and emerging therapeutic strategies. Topic editors: José Rodolfo Lopes De Paiva Cavalcanti, Expedito Nascimento, Adhil Bhagwandin Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78959/updates-and-discussions-about-basal-ganglia-and-their-circuits-volume-ii