Striatal circuit development and synapse maturation

The basal ganglia are a series of subcortical nuclei essential for goal-directed motor actions and reward-based behavior in vertebrates. The goal of this chapter is to review the development of the striatum which is the largest nucleus and the main point of entry to the multiple afferent systems that are integrated and processed by the basal ganglia. We start describing early striatal patterning during embryonic development and continue through key stages of maturation after birth, including the compartmentalization of striatal circuits, maturation of cellular properties, assembly of synapses, and the maturation of striatal patterns of activity.