Cortico-striatal circuits and the timing of action and perception

- Split rather than closed loops support temporal processing in action and perception.
- Structural (anterior-posterior) gradients in the basal ganglia may mirror SMA gradients.
- Functional integration of action and perception in the basal ganglia.

Reciprocal connections between cortical and striatal regions of the brain form neuro-functional circuits that are recruited in a wide range of behaviors. One of the basic functions of these circuits is the encoding and decoding of temporal structure. Here we discuss recent evidence on temporal processing, focusing on structural and functional data that inform our understanding of specialization within these circuits and motivate future research avenues on the basis of an integrative temporal processing network.