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Putamen

The putamen is one of the basal nuclei deep in the cerebrum. With the caudate nucleus it forms the striatum, and with the globus pallidus the lentiform nucleus. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Putamen)

FMA61834 · Nervous system

Brain model seen from the front with the cerebrum faded: the right and left putamen are highlighted deep in each hemisphere, either side of the midline.
The right and left putamen, highlighted, seen from the front through the faded cerebrum. Render: ScienceQuest, CC BY 4.0. Meshes: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0
The right and left putamen on their own, seen from the front and right.
The right and left putamen alone, from the front and right. Render: ScienceQuest, CC BY 4.0. Meshes: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0

Open it in the Brain Explorer See it alone in 3D

Where is the putamen?

It lies deep in the cerebral hemisphere, where it joins the globus pallidus to form the lentiform nucleus. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Putamen)

In a frontal section it sits below the caudate nucleus, inside the curve of its head and body, with the internal capsule between them. The globus pallidus lies against its medial side. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Globus Pallidus)

The lentiform nucleus that it forms with the globus pallidus lies beneath the insula. (StatPearls, Globus Pallidus)

What does the putamen do?

As part of the striatum it receives the cortex’s input to the basal nuclei, an excitatory connection that releases glutamate. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Basal Ganglia)

From the striatum, the direct pathway runs to the internal segment of the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. The indirect pathway runs through the external segment and the subthalamic nucleus to the same targets. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Basal Ganglia)

Through the thalamus, the direct pathway ends up exciting the cortex and the indirect pathway ends up failing to excite it. (OpenStax A&P 2e, 13.2; StatPearls, Basal Ganglia)

It works in learning and motor control, speech articulation among them, and in language, reward, cognition and addiction. It also modulates the sensory and motor sides of pain. (StatPearls, Putamen)

How does the putamen connect to the cortex?

Its front part connects with the associative regions of the cortex. Its back part connects with the primary motor cortex and the supplementary motor area. (StatPearls, Putamen)

The striatum sends its output back to the cortex through the thalamus. (StatPearls, Putamen)

Which arteries supply the putamen, and how does it develop?

Perforating branches of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries, the lenticulostriate arteries, supply it; which artery predominates varies. (StatPearls, Putamen)

It develops from the telencephalon, which gives rise to most of the basal ganglia, the caudate nucleus among them. (StatPearls, Putamen)

Touches in this model

Measured on the BodyParts3D meshes: surfaces within 2 mm of the putamen, nearest first, 12 of 13.

Sources

  1. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 13.2, The Central Nervous System. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Read 2026-10-25.
  2. StatPearls, Neuroanatomy, Putamen. Mehrnoosh Ghandili; Sunil Munakomi. Last update January 30, 2023. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Read 2026-10-25.
  3. StatPearls, Neuroanatomy, Globus Pallidus. Nismat Javed; Marco Cascella. Last update February 20, 2023. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Read 2026-10-25.
  4. StatPearls, Neuroanatomy, Basal Ganglia. Carly B. Young; Vamsi Reddy; James Sonne. Last update July 24, 2023. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Read 2026-10-25.

The values are facts and free to use; this page’s selection and presentation are © 2026 ScienceQuest.