My summer reading list includes Suzanne N. Haber's recent article "Functional Anatomy and Physiology of the Basal Ganglia: Non-motor Functions." (Don't Judge!) It begs many questions, in a good way. She outlines distinct neurological properties of the basal ganglia. Those properties might influence distinct behavioral properties. On page 37, she states medium spiny neurons are "bistable, shifting between two membrane states: an upstate and a downstate." Although this has been investigated, I think the full ramifications have not been found yet. Later, she discusses a set of interneurons that receive "powerful" input from cortex and respond faster and earlier than medium spiny neurons. The nature of this cortical input and the effect of being faster and earlier could have profound implications for basal ganglia functions.
I'm too busy with other projects to explore these ideas. I would love to see someone else tackle at them.
