The term subputaminal nucleus refers to a cluster of large cholinergic neurons that form the rostrolateral part of the basal nucleus in the human and the chimpanzee. It is located deep to the putamen next to the temporal limb of the anterior commissure. In the human the anterior and intermediate parts of the nucleus are densely packed. The cells are fewer and more dispersed in the chimpanzee. The nucleus is not present in the macaque or other Old World and New World monkeys. As part of the basal nucleus it is thought to play a role in attention, learning, memory, and cortical plasticity ( Raghanti-2011 ). In the human it is more prominent in the left hemisphere than the right, and it sends a projection to the inferior frontal gyrus, which includes Broca's area. Those features suggest that the subputaminal nucleus may play a role in speech and cognition ( Simic-1999 ).