= BASAL GANGLIA (earlier incorrect designation)

Function: part of extrapyramidal motor system; involvement in memory, emotion, other cognitive function

Blood supply: ACA and MCA → medial + lateral lenticulostriate aa.

1. Amygdaloid body
2. Claustrum
3. Corpus striatum
   
   Location: between lateral ventricle + insular cortex
   1. Caudate nucleus
      • isointense to cortical gray matter on all pulse sequences
      • no enhancement
   2. Lentiform nucleus
      • may exhibit dilated Virchow-Robin perivascular spaces
      • may contain bilateral symmetric age-related calcifications
        1. pallidum = globus pallidus
           • slightly hypointense relative to putamen ← progressive iron deposition with age
        2. putamen
           • isointense to cortical gray matter on all pulse sequences
           • no enhancement