Ventral tegmental area (VTA) neuron firing precedes behaviors elicited by reward-predictive sensory cues and scales with the magnitude and unpredictability of received rewards. These patterns are consistent with roles in the performance of learned appetitive behaviors and in positive reinforcement, respectively. The VTA includes subpopulations of neurons with different afferent connections, neurotransmitter content, and projection targets. Because the VTA and substantia nigra pars compacta are the sole sources of striatal and limbic forebrain dopamine, measurements of dopamine release and manipulations of dopamine function have provided critical evidence supporting a VTA contribution to these functions. However, the VTA also sends GABAergic and glutamatergic projections to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, VTA-mediated but dopamine-independent positive reinforcement has been demonstrated. Consequently, identifying the neurotransmitter content and projection target of VTA neurons recorded in vivo will be critical for determining their contribution to learned appetitive behaviors.

中文翻译：

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腹侧被盖区神经元学习到的食欲行为和正强化。

腹侧被盖区（VTA）神经元放电先于由奖励预测的感觉线索和尺度引起的行为，以及获得的奖励的大小和不可预测性。这些模式分别与学习的行为表现和积极强化中的作用一致。VTA包含具有不同传入连接，神经递质含量和投射目标的神经元亚群。由于VTA和黑质致密部是纹状体和边缘性前脑多巴胺的唯一来源，因此对多巴胺释放和多巴胺功能操纵的测量提供了重要证据，支持了VTA对这些功能的贡献。但是，VTA还会向伏隔核和前额叶皮层发送GABA能和谷氨酸能预测。此外，VTA介导但不依赖多巴胺的正强化已被证明。因此，确定体内记录的VTA神经元的神经递质含量和投射靶标对于确定其对学习的食欲行为的贡献至关重要。