Serotonergic action on dorsal striatal function

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter released throughout the brain. The serotonergic system is implicated in a host of neuropsychiatric disorders including, but not limited to, Parkinson's disease and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. These are pathological and drug-induced states that center on dysfunction of the striatum, a basal ganglia structure necessary for voluntary movement control and action learning. 5-HT is released by dorsal raphe nucleus neurons into the dorsal striatum where it acts upon diverse 5-HT receptors that are expressed on various pre- and postsynaptic components. Here, we review the literature on serotonergic effects on dorsal striatal function and discuss possible roles for the striatal serotonergic system in physiological and parkinsonian states.