Is Brocaʹs Area Part of a Basal Ganglia Thalamocortical Circuit?

The cortex constituting Brocaʹs area does not exist in isolation. Rather, like other cortical regions, Brocaʹs area is connected to other brain structures, which likely play closely related functional roles. This paper focuses on the basal ganglia, a set of subcortical structures that project through topographically organized “channels” via the thalamus to different frontal regions. It is hypothesized that the basal ganglia project to Brocaʹs area. This circuitry is further posited to encompass at least two channels. One channel can be characterized as subserving procedural memory, while the other underlies the retrieval of knowledge from declarative memory. These hypotheses are supported by both anatomical and functional evidence. Implications and issues for further investigation are discussed.