How do the dorsal striatum and ventral striatum differ?

The dorsal and ventral striatum are distinct components of the basal ganglia that process different types of information through parallel, complementary pathways.1

• Dorsal Striatum: Comprised of the caudate nucleus and the putamen, this region is primarily associated with the motor circuit. It is involved in the fine-tuning of movements and the execution of motor plans.12
• Ventral Striatum: This region includes the nucleus accumbens and is a key component of the limbic circuit. Its primary function is to process information related to emotion and motivation.1

While both divisions serve as major input nuclei for the basal ganglia—receiving information from the cerebral cortex—they project to different output structures. The dorsal striatum influences motor output through the globus pallidus internus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, whereas the ventral striatum utilizes the ventral pallidum to relay information back to the cortex via the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus.1