Editing Caudate nucleus (section)

===Memory===
The dorsal-prefrontal cortex subcortical loop involving the caudate nucleus has been linked to deficits in working memory, specifically in [[schizophrenic]] patients.  Functional imaging has shown activation of this subcortical loop during working memory tasks in primates and healthy human subjects.  The caudate may be affiliated with deficits involving working memory from before illness onset as well.  Caudate nucleus volume has been found to be inversely associated with [[Perseveration|perseverative]] errors on spatial working memory tasks.<ref name="Hannan 2010 223–230">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hannan KL, Wood SJ, Yung AR, Velakoulis D, Phillips LJ, Soulsby B, Berger G, McGorry PD, Pantelis C | title = Caudate nucleus volume in individuals at ultra-high risk of psychosis: a cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging study | journal = Psychiatry Research | volume = 182 | issue = 3 | pages = 223–30 | date = June 2010 | pmid = 20488675 | doi = 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.02.006 | s2cid = 35678217 }}</ref><ref name="Levitt 2002">{{cite journal|vauthors=Levitt JJ, McCarley RW, Dickey CC, Voglmaier MM, Niznikiewicz MA, Seidman LJ, Hirayasu Y, Ciszewski AA, Kikinis R, Jolesz FA, Shenton ME|date=July 2002|title=MRI study of caudate nucleus volume and its cognitive correlates in neuroleptic-naive patients with schizotypal personality disorder|journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry|volume=159|issue=7|pages=1190–7|doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.159.7.1190|pmc=2826363|pmid=12091198}}<!--|access-date=10 February 2015--></ref>

The [[amygdala]] sends direct projections to the caudate nucleus.  Both the [[amygdala]] and the caudate nucleus have direct and indirect projections to the [[hippocampus]].  The influence of the [[amygdala]] on memory processing in the caudate nucleus has been demonstrated with the finding that lesions involving the connections between these two structures "block the memory-enhancing effects of [[oxotremorine]] infused into the caudate nucleus".  In a study involving rats given water-maze training, the caudate nucleus was discovered to enhance memory of visually cued training after [[amphetamine]] was infused post-training into the caudate.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = McGaugh JL | title = The amygdala modulates the consolidation of memories of emotionally arousing experiences | journal = Annual Review of Neuroscience | volume = 27 | pages = 1–28 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15217324 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144157 }}</ref>