Computational models of basal ganglia dysfunction: the dynamics is in the details

•Various computational models have reproduced parkinsonian and other dysfunctional basal ganglia activity.•Different models can yield contrasting predictions about dysfunctional activity.•The biological details included in models can strongly influence their performance and should be considered in interpretation of results.•Future work should consider the interaction of dysfunctional circuits and the relation of basal ganglia function and dysfunction. The development, simulation, and analysis of mathematical models offer helpful tools for integrating experimental findings and exploring or suggesting possible explanatory mechanisms. As models relating to basal ganglia dysfunction have proliferated, however, there has not always been consistency among their findings. This work points out several ways in which biological details, relating to ionic currents and synaptic pathways, can influence the dynamics of models of the basal ganglia under parkinsonian conditions and hence may be important for inclusion in models. It also suggests some additional useful directions for future modeling studies relating to basal ganglia dysfunction.