Adult Dopaminergic Neurons (VTA)

Adult dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) innervate the ventromedial striatum and prefrontal cortex (PFC) and are involved in the regulation of emotions and reward. Defective dopaminergic transmission in these pathways has been implicated in the development of drug addiction, depression and schizophrenia. During embryonic life, VTA neurons non-specifically project to different regions of the striatum and PFC. Refinement of this innervation and its limit to the ventral striatum and the PFC occur during post-natal stages.