PERENITY OF THE NEW ANATOMIC CONCEPT “VENTRAL STRIATOPALLIDAL SYSTEM”. PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Diversification of research microanatomic methods of subcortical neuron structures has led to the re- structuring of the classical concept of basal ganglia and the working out of a new anatomic concept of ventral striatopallidal system. Macroanatomic visualization and evaluation of subsystems and structures of this new system are pioneering issues in the description and topography of the basal forebrain. The authors’ aim – based on our macroanatomic experience – is at debating several issues associated to the progress in deciphering subcortical neuronal structures which generated dilemmas regarding their naming and evaluation. We based our study on post-mortem human biological samples, with the observation of the ethics and deontology of research. The study was carried out on four human brains free from acute or chronic lesions, that were taken from two men and two women aged between 55 and 65. They were analyzed after pre-fixation in solution 10% formaldehyde for 10 days and post-fixation in solution 5% formaldehyde for 6 months. Evaluation of location and subsystems’ relations within the structures of the ventral striatopallidal system were based on the macroscopic anatomic analysis of serial sections carried out both on the brain and forebrain. We noticed several issues associated to: choosing the references for serial sections on the brain and forebrain; identification of the delimitations of subsystems from the dorsal striatum and the ventral striatum on the one hand and the structures in the ventral pallidum, on the other; the paths and the relations of the “extensions” originating in the dorsal striatum and in the amygdaloid body; anatomic and/or functional criteria of grouping the structure in the basal nuclei. The new concept of “ventral striatopallidal system” implies extra information on the integration of neuronal structure within the Limbic – Motor Interface.