The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) are assumed to play a key role in dopamine-related functions such as reward-related behaviour, motivation, addiction and motor functioning.

Which areas does the ventral tegmental area play a role?

The VTA plays an important role in a number of processes, including reward cognition (motivational salience, associative learning, and positively-valenced emotions) and orgasm, among others, as well as several psychiatric disorders.

Is dopamine produced in the VTA?

The primary source of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens is neurons that project from the VTA and travel in the mesolimbic pathway.