The Role of the Basal Ganglia in Movement

INTRODUCTION

　Old ideas on how the basal ganglia influenced segmental motor mechanisms suggested an outflow through brain stem pathways, in particular the vestibulospinal, reticulospinal and rubrospinal systems．This notion was based on the effects of destructive experiments in dogs；decortication caused some weakness and impaired motor control, but the ability to paw, step and walk^3）were maintained．These functions were destroyed when decortication was combined with bilateral basal ganglia lesions．