Cerebral Hemispheres 2
NEUROSCIENTIFICALLY CHALLENGED

NEUROSCIENCE MADE SIMPLER

Know Your Brain: Ventral Tegmental Area


Where is the ventral tegmental area?

Location of ventral tegmental area indicated by blue dot.

The ventral tegmental area, or VTA, is in the midbrain, situated adjacent to the substantia nigra. Although it contains several different types of neurons, it is primarily characterized by its dopaminergic neurons, which project from the VTA throughout the brain. The VTA is considered an integral part of a network of structures, together known as the reward system, that are involved in reinforcing behavior.

What is the ventral tegmental area and what does it do?

The VTA is one of the two major dopaminergic areas in the brain (the other being the substantia nigra). Although there is not a very clear anatomical separation between the VTA and substantia nigra, the areas do seem to differ slightly in where most of their neurons project to. The largest bundle of fibers leaving the substantia nigra, known as the nigrostriatal pathway, projects to the caudate and putamen (together known as the striatum). There are several major efferents that project from the VTA; two of the most prominent are the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways, which travel to limbic and cortical areas, respectively.

The variation in the destination of their efferents leads to a divergence in the functions attributed to the VTA and substantia nigra. While the substantia nigra is primarily associated with movement, the VTA is thought to be involved with various cognitive and emotional processes. The functions associated with the VTA are diverse, but it is probably best known for the major role it seems to play in motivation, reward, and addiction.

Watch this 2-Minute Neuroscience video to learn more about the ventral tegmental area.

When someone uses a drug of abuse, or attains some otherwise rewarding stimulus, dopamine levels typically rise in the nucleus accumbens, a structure found in the basal forebrain that is an important part of the reward system. The primary source of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens is neurons that project from the VTA and travel in the mesolimbic pathway. Thus, the VTA is also activated when one experiences something rewarding, and this integral role in the mediation of rewarding experiences has caused some to propose that activity in the VTA may be necessary to the development of addiction.

Dopamine is also important to normal cognition and so it is not surprising that the VTA has been implicated in the pathophysiology of disorders other than addiction. For example, dopaminergic neurons in the VTA have been proposed to play a role in schizophrenia, a disorder that is thought by some to be associated with high levels of dopamine. Alternatively, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to low dopamine activity in the VTA. In truth, the dopaminergic projections from the VTA are so extensive that they are likely involved to some degree in a wide variety of normal and pathological behavior, but it is still not very clear exactly what role they play in most cognitive processes---both normal and disordered. It does seem clear, however, that due to the importance of dopamine signaling throughout the brain and the widespread dopaminergic projections of the VTA, the integrity of the VTA is crucial to proper brain function.

Reference (in addition to linked text above):

Kalivas, P. (1993). Neurotransmitter regulation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area Brain Research Reviews, 18 (1), 75-113 DOI: 10.1016/0165-0173(93)90008-N

Learn more: 

Know your brain - Reward system

Know your brain - Nucleus accumbens

YOUR BRAIN, EXPLAINED

Sleep. Memory. Pleasure. Fear. Language. We experience these things every day, but how do our brains create them? Your Brain, Explained is a personal tour around your gray matter. Building on neuroscientist Marc Dingman’s popular YouTube series, 2-Minute Neuroscience, this is a friendly, engaging introduction to the human brain and its quirks using real-life examples and Dingman’s own, hand-drawn illustrations.

  • Dingman weaves classic studies with modern research into easily digestible sections, to provide an excellent primer on the rapidly advancing field of neuroscience. - Moheb Costandi, author, Neuroplasticity and 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know

  • An informative, accessible and engaging book for anyone who has even the slightest interest in how the brain works, but doesn’t know where to begin. - Dean Burnett, PhD, author, Happy Brain and Idiot Brain

  • ...a highly readable and accessible introduction to the operation of the brain and current issues in neuroscience... a wonderful introduction to the field. - Frank Amthor, PhD, Professor of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, author, Neuroscience for Dummies

  • Reading like a collection of detective stories, Your Brain, Explained combines classic cases in the history of neurology with findings stemming from the latest techniques used to probe the brain’s secrets. - Stanley Finger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University (St. Louis), author, Origins of Neuroscience

BIZARRE

This book shows a whole other side of how brains work by examining the most unusual behavior to emerge from the human brain. In it, you'll meet a woman who is afraid to take a shower because she fears her body will slip down the drain, a man who is convinced he is a cat, a woman who compulsively snacks on cigarette ashes, and many other unusual cases. As uncommon as they are, each of these cases has something important to teach us about everyday brain function.

  • A unique combination of storytelling and scientific explanation that appeals to the brain novice, the trained neuroscientist, and everyone in between. Dingman explores some of the most fascinating and mysterious expressions of human behavior in a style that is case study, dramatic novel, and introductory textbook all rolled into one. - Alison Kreisler, PhD, Neuroscience Instructor, California State University, San Marcos

  • Dingman brings the history of neuroscience back to life and weaves in contemporary ideas seamlessly. Readers will come along for the ride of a really interesting read and accidentally learn some neuroscience along the way. - Erin Kirschmann, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling, Immaculata University

  • Through case studies of both exceptional people as well as those with disorders, Bizarre takes us on a fascinating journey in which we learn more about what is going on in our skull. - William J. Ray, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, author, Abnormal Psychology

  • Bizarre is a collection of stories of how the brain can create zombies, cult members, extra limbs, instant musicians, and overnight accents, to name a few of the mind-scratching cases. After reading this book, you will walk away with a greater appreciation for this bizarre organ. If you are a fan of Oliver Sacks' books, you're certain to be a fan of Dingman's Bizarre. - Allison M. Wilck, PhD, Researcher and Assistant Professor of Psychology, Eastern Mennonite University