Nucleus · one in each half of the brain
Globus pallidus
Also called Pallidum
The "pale globe": the gatekeeper that holds movements in check until it is time.
The globus pallidus is a pale, wedge-shaped nucleus tucked inside the putamen. It has two parts: an outer external segment (GPe) and an inner internal segment (GPi). The internal part is the main exit door of the basal ganglia and sends a steady "hold it" signal to the thalamus. When the striatum quiets it, that brake lifts and the chosen movement can go.
Where it is
Deep inside the brain, nestled on the inner side of the putamen like the pit inside a fruit, right next to the thick fiber highway called the internal capsule.
What it does
The main brake
Its inner part fires nonstop, holding back the movement relays of the thalamus until an action is chosen.
Weighing go and no-go
It receives both the "go" and "no-go" messages from the striatum and balances them against each other.
Smoothing movement
By adjusting how hard it brakes, it helps keep movements smooth instead of jerky or frozen.
Reward too
A lower part, the ventral pallidum, works with the nucleus accumbens on motivation and pleasure.
Think of it as a foot resting on the brake pedal, easing off only when the driver has picked a direction.
Inside the globus pallidus
- External segment (GPe)A busy middle station on the "no-go" pathway that helps hold back unwanted moves.
- Internal segment (GPi)The basal ganglia's main exit door, and a key target for brain pacemakers.
Works with
- PutamenWraps around it and sends it the striatum's "go" and "no-go" votes.
- ThalamusReceives its steady brake, and moves ahead when that brake is lifted.
- Subthalamic nucleusTrades signals with it in the "no-go" loop.
- Nucleus accumbensSends reward signals to its lower part, the ventral pallidum.
- Pallidal neuronIts fast-firing nerve cells, which keep the brake pressed.
- GABAThe calming chemical almost all of its messages are made of.
When it goes wrong
Deep brain stimulation
Its internal segment is a major target for brain pacemakers that ease Parkinson's symptoms and dystonia (involuntary, twisting muscle cramps).
Carbon monoxide poisoning
The globus pallidus is the brain area most often damaged in carbon monoxide poisoning, which can leave lasting problems with thinking and walking.
For learning only, not medical advice. If you have a health concern, talk to a doctor.
Surprising facts
- Its cells keep firing at a high rate even when you are sitting perfectly still.
- Almost all of its messages use GABA, the brain's main "calm down" chemical.
- It is split into two segments by a thin sheet of white matter, and the two parts have quite different jobs.
Where the name comes from
Latin for "pale globe". It looks paler than its neighbors because so many fat-wrapped (myelinated) nerve fibers run through it.
Learn it in a lesson
- The basal gangliaChoosing which movement goes. A short guided lesson in 3D.
Quick quiz
3 questions. Your answers are saved and come back in your daily review.
Which of these is a job of the globus pallidus?
Show the answer
The main brake. Its inner part fires nonstop, holding back the movement relays of the thalamus until an action is chosen.
The main brake. Its inner part fires nonstop, holding back the movement relays of the thalamus until an action is chosen.
The globus pallidus is part of which larger structure?
Show the answer
Basal ganglia. It belongs to the basal ganglia.
Basal ganglia. It belongs to the basal ganglia.
Which part fits this description? "Like a foot resting on the brake pedal, easing off only when the driver has picked a direction."
Show the answer
Globus pallidus. It is the globus pallidus. The "pale globe": the gatekeeper that holds movements in check until it is time.
Globus pallidus. It is the globus pallidus. The "pale globe": the gatekeeper that holds movements in check until it is time.
These parts now come back in your daily review, just before you would forget them.
Practice these parts in 3DSources
- Neuroanatomy, Globus Pallidus, StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
- Projections from the Basal Ganglia to Other Brain Regions, Neuroscience (Purves et al.), NCBI Bookshelf
- Carbon monoxide poisoning, Radiopaedia
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Explore the globus pallidus in 3D
Turn it around, zoom inside and see how it connects to the rest of the brain, then test yourself with quick quizzes.
Open it in 3D