Striatum refers to a group of bilateral brain regions near the forebrain base that have related functionality. Striatum is anatomically subdivided into 2 sections, although they share some functions: the dorsal (meaning “back”; located closer to the brain back) striatum, consisting of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus, and the ventral (meaning “stomach”; located closer to the brain front) striatum, consisting of the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle.

     Dorsal and ventral striatum have separable but similar functions related to behavioral adaptation and motivation. These functions are mediated by the neurotransmitter dopamine, as the striatum is populated with neurons containing high numbers of dopamine receptors.