Dealing with the devil in the detail - some thoughts about the next model of the basal ganglia

Perhaps in the quantitative anatomical detail there is a plan that may support a new theory. If all of the cortex is not accessible to every striatal cell. If dopamine influences many spines rather than the one it contacts. If we stop looking for a mechanical control system for movement in the basal ganglia and begin to investigate the predictive properties of 'reinforcement learning'. Then maybe a new functional model will emerge that is less tied to anatomical and physiological simplification, but perhaps will still allow us to engineer therapeutic strategies to help patients with movement disorders.