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Cited by 379Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Afferents of the ventral tegmental area in the rat-anatomical substratum for integrative functions

Geisler, Stefanie, Zahm, Daniel S.·2005·The Journal of Comparative Neurology
DOI 10.1002/cne.20668
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Abstract

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is critically important to an organism's capacity to detect rewards and novelty and to enlist appropriate behavioral responses. Although there has been substantial progress concerning information processing at the single cell and molecular levels in the VTA, our knowledge of its overall afferent connections is based principally on the benchmark description by Phillipson ([1979] J. Comp. Neurol. 187:117-144). Given that, since then, the sensitivity of tracing methods and knowledge about the organization of brain structures have increased considerably, we undertook to reevaluate the VTA afferents of the rat. The retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold was injected into different parts of the VTA, and labeled neurons were visualized by immunocytochemistry. Retrogradely labeled neurons were not confined to nuclei but rather constituted an elongated formation stretching from the prefrontal cortex rostrally to the medulla oblongata caudally. In the case of descending afferents, this formation was centered on the medial forebrain bundle and the fasciculus retroflexus. The input to the VTA in general was bilateral, with a smaller descending and comparable ascending projection from the contralateral side. Injections of the anterograde tracers Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin or biotinylated dextran amine into selected forebrain structures revealed a surprisingly sparse terminal arborization in the VTA. Furthermore, structures projecting to the VTA innervate other brain areas with similar or greater robustness, which in turn also provide a strong input to the VTA, indicating an anatomical network. Given the importance of the VTA in basic behaviors, this organization might provide a basis for an extraordinary level of afferent integration.

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  • GABAergic inputs to the VTA come from a list of regions including substantia nigra pars reticulata, nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum/globus pallidus, laterodorsal tegmentum, pedunculopontine nuclei, diagonal band of Broca, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and rostromedial tegmental nucleus.

    “GABAergic inputs arrive at the VTA from the substantia nigra pars reticulata, nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum/globus pallidus, laterodorsal tegmentum, pedunculopontine nuclei, diagonal band of Broca, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the caudal tip of the VTA, termed the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) (Geisler and Zahm 2005; Jhou et al. 2009; Kaufling et al. 2009).”

    From Nicotine Withdrawal (2015) · cites this paper as Geisler and Zahm 2005

  • The lateral hypothalamic area belongs to the phylogenically old brain structure referred to as the isodendritic core (or reticular formation), as do the ventral pallidum and VTA.

    “The lateral hypothalamic area belongs to the phylogenically old brain structure referred to as “isodendritic core” (or “reticular formation”), as do the ventral pallidum and VTA (Leontovich and Zhukova, 1963; Ramon-Moliner and Nauta, 1966; Geisler and Zahm, 2005).”

    From Dopamine reward circuitry: Two projection systems from the ventral midbrain to the nucleus accumbens–olfactory tubercle complex (2007) · cites this paper as Geisler and Zahm, 2005

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Authors
Geisler, S., & Zahm, D. S.
Affiliations
Saint Louis University (US)
Corresponding author
Zahm, Daniel S.
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2005
Volume
490
Issue
3
Pages
270-294
ISSN
  • 0021-9967 (ISSN-L)
  • 1096-9861
DOI
10.1002/cne.20668
OpenAlex
W1983272530
Cited by
379
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 30
FWCI
6.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 3895 d)
Locations
  • The Journal of Comparative Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA15207, R01DA015207)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS23805, R01NS023805)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
ventral tegmental area, afferent projections, retrograde tracing, Fluoro-Gold, anterograde tracing, medial forebrain bundle, fasciculus retroflexus, prefrontal cortex, medulla oblongata, terminal arborization, reward processing, novelty detection, rats
MeSH terms
Afferent Pathways, Animals, Biotin, Brain Mapping, Dextrans, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Neurons, Phytohemagglutinins, Stilbamidines, Prosencephalon, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Ventral Tegmental Area, Rats

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