The effects of environmental interventions on basal ganglia functioning

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The basal ganglia are a set of brain structures that act as a feedback circuit to modify the functioning of the cerebral cortex.  Proper functioning of the basal ganglia is required for the selection and execution of programmed sequences of movements ("motor programmes").  The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a particularly crucial role in the regulation of basal ganglia function.  Factors which alter dopaminergic signaling within the basal ganglia interfere with the ability to access motor programmes and thereby impair an individual's ability to respond effectively to events in the external world.  It is known that the intrauterine environment and the early life environment can have long-term behavioural effects.  The present proposal aims to study whether these behavioural effects might be mediated, at least in part, by changes in the basal ganglia.  The proposed studies should help to clarify the neural mechanisms by which early life events are able to exert long-lasting effects on behaviour.  They should also indicate whether intrauterine exposure to antipsychotic medication may constitute a risk factor for the later development of Parkinson's disease.