Dictionary of Biological Psychology
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is literally the floor of the MIDBRAIN and contains such structures as the INTERPEDUNCULAR NUCLEUS, the ventral tegmental area of Tsai both of which are in the medial VTA, and the SUBSTANTIA NIGRA, which lies ventrolaterally.
Common usage associates the VTA rather specifically with the group of DOPAMINE neurons lying between the two substantiae nigrae which give origin to the MESOLIMBIC DOPAMINE SYSTEM and MESOLIMBICOCORTICAL SYSTEM that innervate the NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS, AMYGDALA and cortical areas, especially the PREFRONTAL CORTEX. These DOPAMINERGIC projections distinguish them from the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway that arises in the more lateral substantia nigra pars compacta. The VTA dopaminergic cell group is often called the A10 cell group (see CLASSIFICATION OF DAHLSTRÖM AND FUXE).
BARRY J.EVERITT
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