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THE DOPAMINE SYSTEM:

  • Ventral tegmental area (VTA) projections

  • VTA → Amygdala

  • VTA → Cingulate cortex

  • VTA → Hippocampus

  • VTA → Ventral striatum (Mesolimbic pathway)

  • VTA → Olfactory bulb

  • VTA → Prefrontal cortex (Mesocortical pathway)

  • Nigrostriatal pathway

  • Substantia nigra pars compacta → Dorsal striatum

  • Tuberoinfundibular pathway

  • Arcuate nucleus → Median eminence

  • Hypothalamospinal projection

  • Hypothalamus → Spinal cord

  • Incertohypothalamic pathway

  • Zona incerta → Hypothalamus

  • arousal (wakefulness)

  • aversion

  • cognitive control and working memory (co-regulated by norepinephrine)

  • emotion and mood

  • motivation (motivational salience)

  • motor function and control

  • positive reinforcement

  • reward (primary mediator)

  • sexual arousal, orgasm, and refractory period (via neuroendocrine regulation)



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