what is the striatum
The striatum, also known as the neostriatum or striate nucleus, is a subcortical part of the forebrain and a critical component of the reward system. It receives glutamatergic and dopaminergic inputs from different sources and serves as the primary input to the basal ganglia system.he striatum is heterogeneous in terms of its component neurons. 1  Spiny projection neurons, commonly referred to as medium spiny neurons, are the principal neurons of the striatum. 2  Cholinergic interneurons release acetylcholine, which has a variety of important effects in the striatum. 3  There are many types of GABAergic interneurons.