Basal Ganglia · SNc · substructure
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta
Substantia nigra pars compacta
Source of the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway: supports movement and habit learning by feeding the dorsal striatum.
Anatomy
- The dorsal part of the SN; tightly packed, neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic neurons (cell group A9).
- Continuous medially with the VTA (A10).
Functions
- Dopamine to the dorsal striatum: initiation and scaling of movement.
- Reward prediction error signals and skill/habit learning.
Clinical
- The dopamine cell group affected earliest and most in Parkinson’s disease.
- Nigrostriatal D2 blockade by antipsychotics underlies extrapyramidal side effects.
In the model
How this structure is defined in the 3D model, and the data source.
CIT168 SNc probability map (right/left); volume equal to the CIT168 hard label.
References
This substructure’s card draws on the parent structure’s references: Substantia Nigra.
This page is for education; it must not be used on its own for diagnosis or treatment decisions.
Last reviewed by the author: 12 October 2026
3D model: built from the MNI ICBM152 average brain and the CerebrA, HCP-MMP1.0, CIT168, Harvard AAN, SUIT and Najdenovska thalamus atlases. License details in the atlas.