caudate

Caudate, in neuroanatomy, primarily refers to the caudate nucleus, a C-shaped structure in the basal ganglia of the brain. It is part of the dorsal striatum and lies deep within the cerebral hemispheres, adjacent to the lateral ventricle, with the head near the frontal lobe, the body curving around the diencephalon, and the tail extending into the temporal lobe toward the amygdala.

Anatomy and connections: The caudate consists of head, body, and tail. It receives extensive input from the cerebral cortex, especially associational and prefrontal areas, and communicates with other basal ganglia nuclei, notably the putamen, through corticostriatal and striatonigral pathways. Output from the caudate passes to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra as part of the basal ganglia circuitry.

Function: The caudate is involved in motor control, procedural learning, and cognitive aspects of action selection and goal-directed behavior. It participates in frontostriatal circuits that regulate voluntary movement, planning, and reward-related learning, with dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra modulating its activity.

Clinical relevance: The caudate nucleus is vulnerable in Huntington's disease, where caudate atrophy accompanies cognitive and motor decline. Lesions or dysfunction in the caudate have been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. Neuroimaging often shows structural or functional alterations in the caudate associated with these conditions.

Etymology: The name derives from Latin caudatus, meaning “tail,” reflecting its curved shape around the frontal horns of the lateral ventricle. In anatomy, caudate can also refer to other tail-like structures, such as the caudate lobe of the liver, but in neuroanatomy it most commonly denotes the caudate nucleus.