2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
  • View Times: 0
  • |
  • Release Date: 2024-04-07
Neuroscience Made Simpler
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sleepwalking
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sleepwalking
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vertigo
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vertigo
2-Minute Neuroscience: Migraine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Migraine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Methylphenidate
2-Minute Neuroscience: Methylphenidate
2-Minute Neuroscience: DMT
2-Minute Neuroscience: DMT
2-Minute Neuroscience: Cochlear Implants
2-Minute Neuroscience: Cochlear Implants
2-Minute Neuroscience: Frontotemporal Dementia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Frontotemporal Dementia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Spina Bifida
2-Minute Neuroscience: Spina Bifida
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sleep Paralysis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sleep Paralysis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Fatal Insomnia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Fatal Insomnia
2-Minute Neuroscience: PTSD
2-Minute Neuroscience: PTSD
2-Minute Neuroscience: Schizophrenia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Schizophrenia
2-Minute Neuroscience: COVID-19 & the Brain
2-Minute Neuroscience: COVID-19 & the Brain
2-Minute Neuroscience: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
2-Minute Neuroscience: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
2-Minute Neuroscience: ADHD
2-Minute Neuroscience: ADHD
2-Minute Neuroscience: Restless Legs Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Restless Legs Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Autism
2-Minute Neuroscience: Autism
2-Minute Neuroscience: Narcolepsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Narcolepsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: MDMA
2-Minute Neuroscience: MDMA
2-Minute Neuroscience: Brain Aneurysms
2-Minute Neuroscience: Brain Aneurysms
2-Minute Neuroscience: Bell's Palsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Bell's Palsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Tinnitus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Tinnitus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Ketamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Ketamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Motor Neurons
2-Minute Neuroscience: Motor Neurons
2-Minute Neuroscience: Phantom Limb
2-Minute Neuroscience: Phantom Limb
10-Minute Neuroscience: Visual Pathways
10-Minute Neuroscience: Visual Pathways
10-Minute Neuroscience: Action Potentials
10-Minute Neuroscience: Action Potentials
10-Minute Neuroscience: Synapses
10-Minute Neuroscience: Synapses
10-Minute Neuroscience: Neurons
10-Minute Neuroscience: Neurons
2-Minute Neuroscience: Tourette Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Tourette Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Withdrawal Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Withdrawal Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Cerebral Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Cerebral Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Deep Brain Stimulation
2-Minute Neuroscience: Deep Brain Stimulation
2-Minute Neuroscience: Meningitis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Meningitis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corneal Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corneal Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: CBD
2-Minute Neuroscience: CBD
2-Minute Neuroscience: THC
2-Minute Neuroscience: THC
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alien Hand Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alien Hand Syndrome
2-Minute Neuroscience: Melatonin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Melatonin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Psilocybin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Psilocybin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Agonism, Antagonism, & Allosteric Modulation
2-Minute Neuroscience: Agonism, Antagonism, & Allosteric Modulation
2-Minute Neuroscience: LSD
2-Minute Neuroscience: LSD
2-Minute Neuroscience: Beta-Endorphin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Beta-Endorphin
2-Minute Neuroscience: L-DOPA
2-Minute Neuroscience: L-DOPA
2-Minute Neuroscience: Parasympathetic Nervous System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Parasympathetic Nervous System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sympathetic Nervous System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sympathetic Nervous System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Indirect Pathway of the Basal Ganglia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Indirect Pathway of the Basal Ganglia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Direct Pathway of the Basal Ganglia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Direct Pathway of the Basal Ganglia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Norepinephrine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Norepinephrine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sodium-Potassium Pump
2-Minute Neuroscience: Sodium-Potassium Pump
2-Minute Neuroscience: Electroencephalography (EEG)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Electroencephalography (EEG)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Trochlear Nerve (Cranial Nerve IV)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Trochlear Nerve (Cranial Nerve IV)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Oculomotor Nerve (Cranial Nerve III)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Oculomotor Nerve (Cranial Nerve III)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Touch Receptors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Touch Receptors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Hypoglossal Nerve (Cranial Nerve XII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Hypoglossal Nerve (Cranial Nerve XII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Accessory Nerve (Cranial Nerve XI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Accessory Nerve (Cranial Nerve XI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Prefrontal Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Prefrontal Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vagus Nerve (Cranial Nerve X)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vagus Nerve (Cranial Nerve X)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Phototransduction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Phototransduction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glossopharyngeal Nerve (Cranial Nerve IX)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glossopharyngeal Nerve (Cranial Nerve IX)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Methadone
2-Minute Neuroscience: Methadone
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vestibulocochlear Nerve (Cranial Nerve VIII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vestibulocochlear Nerve (Cranial Nerve VIII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Nicotine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Nicotine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Abducens Nerve (Cranial Nerve VI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Abducens Nerve (Cranial Nerve VI)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Concussions
2-Minute Neuroscience: Concussions
2-Minute Neuroscience: Trigeminal Nerve (Cranial Nerve V)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Trigeminal Nerve (Cranial Nerve V)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Opioids
2-Minute Neuroscience: Opioids
2-Minute Neuroscience: Optic Nerve (Cranial Nerve II)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Optic Nerve (Cranial Nerve II)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Brain Tumors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Brain Tumors
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glial Cells
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glial Cells
2-Minute Neuroscience: Stages of Sleep
2-Minute Neuroscience: Stages of Sleep
2-Minute Neuroscience: HPA Axis
2-Minute Neuroscience: HPA Axis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Huntington's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Huntington's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amphetamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amphetamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corpus Callosum
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corpus Callosum
2-Minute Neuroscience: Pons
2-Minute Neuroscience: Pons
2-Minute Neuroscience: Parkinson's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Parkinson's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Hydrocephalus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Hydrocephalus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Dopamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Dopamine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Stroke
2-Minute Neuroscience: Stroke
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glutamate
2-Minute Neuroscience: Glutamate
2-Minute Neuroscience: Blood Supply of the Brain
2-Minute Neuroscience: Blood Supply of the Brain
2-Minute Neuroscience: Neurotransmitter Release
2-Minute Neuroscience: Neurotransmitter Release
2-Minute Neuroscience: Serotonin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Serotonin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Oxytocin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Oxytocin
2-Minute Neuroscience: Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Wernicke's Area
2-Minute Neuroscience: Wernicke's Area
2-Minute Neuroscience: Broca's Area
2-Minute Neuroscience: Broca's Area
2-Minute Neuroscience: Acetylcholine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Acetylcholine
2-Minute Neuroscience: GABA
2-Minute Neuroscience: GABA
2-Minute Neuroscience: Taste
2-Minute Neuroscience: Taste
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alcohol
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alcohol
2-Minute Neuroscience: Olfaction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Olfaction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Midbrain
2-Minute Neuroscience: Midbrain
2-Minute Neuroscience: Periaqueductal Gray (PAG)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Periaqueductal Gray (PAG)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Benzodiazepines
2-Minute Neuroscience: Benzodiazepines
2-Minute Neuroscience: Caffeine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Caffeine
2-Minute Neuroscience: Long-Term Depression (LTD)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Long-Term Depression (LTD)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Pineal Gland
2-Minute Neuroscience: Pineal Gland
2-Minute Neuroscience: Primary Somatosensory Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Primary Somatosensory Cortex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
2-Minute Neuroscience: Nucleus Accumbens
2-Minute Neuroscience: Nucleus Accumbens
2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
2-Minute Neuroscience: Medulla Oblongata
2-Minute Neuroscience: Medulla Oblongata
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vestibular System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Vestibular System
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amygdala
2-Minute Neuroscience: Amygdala
2-Minute Neuroscience: Striatum
2-Minute Neuroscience: Striatum
2-Minute Neuroscience: Epilepsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Epilepsy
2-Minute Neuroscience: Multiple Sclerosis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Multiple Sclerosis
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alzheimer's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Alzheimer's Disease
2-Minute Neuroscience: Neuromuscular Junction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Neuromuscular Junction
2-Minute Neuroscience: Knee-Jerk Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Knee-Jerk Reflex
2-Minute Neuroscience: Substantia Nigra
2-Minute Neuroscience: Substantia Nigra
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corticospinal Tract
2-Minute Neuroscience: Corticospinal Tract
2-Minute Neuroscience: Basal Ganglia
2-Minute Neuroscience: Basal Ganglia
Playlist
  • brain
  • midbrain
  • VTA
  • dopamine
  • reward
  • motivation
  • emotion
Video Introduction

The content is sourced from: https://youtu.be/4t1EsfhPBTk

The ventral tegmental area, or VTA, is one of the two largest dopaminergic regions of the brain (the other being the substantia nigra). Dopamine neurons leave the VTA in several different pathways and project throughout the brain. Two of the most prominent pathways are the mesocortical and mesolimbic pathways. The mesocortical pathway projects from the VTA to widespread areas of the cerebral cortex and has diverse functions including motivation, emotion, and executive functions. The mesolimbic pathway projects from the VTA to several limbic structures; the largest projection is to the nucleus accumbens. The mesolimbic pathway also has diverse functions but is best known for its role in processing rewarding stimuli.[1][2]

The ventral tegmental area, or VTA, is found in the midbrain, situated next to the substantia nigra. Although the VTA contains several types of neurons, it is primarily characterized by its large population of dopamine neurons. It is one of the two major dopaminergic areas in the brain (the other being the substantia nigra). VTA dopamine neurons travel from the VTA to other areas of the brain in several major pathways. Two of the most prominent pathways are the mesocortical and the mesolimbic pathways. 

The mesocortical pathway projects from the VTA to widespread areas of the cerebral cortex, including the prefrontal, orbitofrontal, and cingulate cortices as well as sensory and motor cortices. The mesocortical projections are very diverse and the pathway is involved in a wide range of functions including motivation, emotion, and executive functions. 

The mesolimbic pathway projects from the VTA to several limbic structures. The largest projection of this pathway is to the nucleus accumbens, but other projections stretch to areas like the amygdala as well. The mesolimbic pathway also has diverse functions, but it is most frequently associated with the reward system, as dopamine signaling along the mesolimbic pathway is considered to be important to the processing of rewarding experiences. When someone uses an addictive drug, for example, dopamine neurons in the VTA are activated. These neurons project to the nucleus accumbens via the mesolimbic pathway, and their activation causes dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens to rise. The effects of these increased dopamine levels are still not fully understood, but they may be involved with encoding memories about rewarding experiences and attributing importance to environmental stimuli that are associated with the reward.

References
  1. Oades RD, Halliday GM. Ventral tegmental (A10) system: neurobiology. 1. Anatomy and connectivity. Brain Res. 1987 May;434(2):117-65.
  2. Pierce RC, Kumaresan V. The mesolimbic dopamine system: the final common pathway for the reinforcing effect of drugs of abuse? Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2006;30(2):215-38. Epub 2005 Aug 11
Full Transcript
1000/1000
Hot Most Recent
©Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons-Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Confirm

Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Challenged, N. 2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1187 (accessed on 05 May 2024).
Challenged N. 2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1187. Accessed May 05, 2024.
Challenged, Neuroscientifically. "2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1187 (accessed May 05, 2024).
Challenged, N. (2024, April 07). 2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1187
Challenged, Neuroscientifically. "2-Minute Neuroscience: Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)." Encyclopedia. Web. 07 April, 2024.
Feedback