What is "caudate nucleus"

n. a tail-shaped basal ganglion located in a lateral ventricle of the brain [syn: caudate]

The caudate nucleus is one of the structures that make up the dorsal striatum, which is a component of the basal ganglia. While the caudate nucleus has long been associated with motor processes due to its role in Parkinson's disease, it plays important roles in various other nonmotor functions as well, including procedural learning, associative learning, and executive functions (e.g., inhibitory control), among other functions. The caudate is also one of the brain structures which compose the reward system and functions as part of the cortico–basal ganglia–thalamic loop.