Globus pallidus

Author: Roberto Grujičić, MD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 1 minute

The globus pallidus is a triangular-shaped, subcortical structure of the brain. It is located below the cerebral cortex, medial to the putamen.

The globus pallidus is part of a large group of subcortical nuclei called basal ganglia. It can be functionally divided into two main parts:

Medial (internal) segment
Lateral (external) segment

Together with the putamen, it comprises the larger lentiform (lenticular) nucleus that lies beneath the insula. The lentiform nucleus and caudate form the corpus striatum, a critical component of the basal ganglia.

The main function of the globus pallidus is movement control. More specifically, it regulates conscious and voluntary movement. In addition, globus pallidus connects to cortical areas that support various functions, including motivation and cognition.

Terminology	Englush: Globus pallidus Latin: Globus pallidus Synonym: Dorsal pallidum
Definition	Triangular subcortical structure located medial to putamen.
Function	Voluntary movement, motivation, cognition

Learn everything about the basal ganglia with the following study unit:

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Javed N, Cascella M. Neuroanatomy, Globus Pallidus. [Updated 2021 Jul 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan.

Elliot L.Manchell: Gray's Clinical Neuroanatomy: The Anatomic Basis for Clinical Neuroscience

Saga, Y., Hoshi, E., & Tremblay, L. (2017). Roles of Multiple Globus Pallidus Territories of Monkeys and Humans in Motivation, Cognition and Action: An Anatomical, Physiological and Pathophysiological Review. Frontiers in neuroanatomy, 11, 30.

I. Singh: Textbook of Human neuroanatomy, 7th edition, (2006), p.207 – 213.

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