The basal ganglia upside down: noncanonical direct and indirect pathways emerging from striosomes modulate dopamine release and motor behavior

The GABAergic striatal outputs forming the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia (BG), classically defined by Drd1 and Drd2 expression, respectively, are crucial in the control of voluntary movement. Recent evidence has identified parallel direct and indirect pathways within striosomes that exert opposing control over striatal DA release and thereby influence locomotor behavior. These findings refine our understanding of how discrete BG pathways coordinate voluntary actions.