The Role of the Dorsal Striatum in Reward and Decision-Making

Although the involvement in the striatum in the refinement and control of motor movement has long been recognized, recent description of discrete frontal corticobasal ganglia networks in a range of species has focused attention on the role particularly of the dorsal striatum in executive functions. Current evidence suggests that the dorsal striatum contributes directly to decision-making, especially to action selection and initiation, through the integration of sensorimotor, cognitive, and motivational/emotional information within specific corticostriatal circuits involving discrete regions of striatum. We review key evidence from recent studies in rodent, nonhuman primate, and human subjects.