Editing Dopaminergic pathways (section)

== Pathways {{anchor|Mesocorticolimbic projection}} ==

=== Major ===

Six of the dopaminergic pathways are listed below.<ref name="Dopaminergic pathways and reward system review" /><ref name="NHM pathways" /><ref name="NHM tuberoinfundibular pathway">{{cite book | vauthors = Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE | veditors = Sydor A, Brown RY | title = Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience | year = 2009 | publisher = McGraw-Hill Medical | location = New York | isbn = 9780071481274 | page = 249 | edition = 2nd | chapter = Chapter 10: Neural and Neuroendocrine Control of the Internal Milieu | quote=Relationship of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. The anterior pituitary, or adenohypophysis, receives rich blood flow from the capillaries of the portal hypophyseal system. This system delivers factors released by hypothalamic neurons into portal capillaries at the median eminence. The figure shows one such projection, from the tuberal (arcuate) nuclei via the tuberoinfundibular tract to the median eminence.}}</ref>
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" colspan="2"| Pathway name
! scope="col" | Description
! scope="col" | Associated processes
! scope="col" | Associated disorders
|- 
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Mesocorticolimbic<br />system
| {{center|[[mesolimbic pathway|Mesolimbic<br />pathway]]}}
| The mesolimbic pathway transmits dopamine from the [[ventral tegmental area]] (VTA), which is located in the [[midbrain]], to the [[ventral striatum]], which includes both the [[nucleus accumbens]] and [[olfactory tubercle]].<ref name="Dopaminergic pathways and reward system review">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ikemoto S | title = Brain reward circuitry beyond the mesolimbic dopamine system: a neurobiological theory | journal = Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews | volume = 35 | issue = 2 | pages = 129–50 | date = November 2010 | pmid = 20149820 | pmc = 2894302 | doi = 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.02.001 | quote = Recent studies on intracranial self-administration of neurochemicals (drugs) found that rats learn to self-administer various drugs into the mesolimbic dopamine structures–the posterior ventral tegmental area, medial shell nucleus accumbens and medial olfactory tubercle.&nbsp;... In the 1970s it was recognized that the olfactory tubercle contains a striatal component, which is filled with GABAergic medium spiny neurons receiving glutamatergic inputs form cortical regions and dopaminergic inputs from the VTA and projecting to the ventral pallidum just like the nucleus accumbens }}<br />[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894302/figure/F3/ Figure 3: The ventral striatum and self-administration of amphetamine]</ref><ref name="NHM pathways" /> The "meso" [[Prefix (linguistics)|prefix]] in the word "mesolimbic" refers to the midbrain, or "middle brain", since "meso" means "middle" in [[Greek language|Greek]].
|
*[[reward system|reward]]-related cognition
**[[incentive salience]] ("wanting")
**{{nowrap|[[pleasure]] ("liking") response from certain stimuli}}
**[[positive reinforcement]]
*aversion-related cognition
|
*[[ADHD]]
*[[addiction]]
*[[schizophrenia]]
|- 
| {{center|[[mesocortical pathway|Mesocortical<br />pathway]]}} 
| The mesocortical pathway transmits dopamine from the VTA to the [[prefrontal cortex]].  The "meso" prefix in "mesocortical" refers to the VTA, which is located in the midbrain, and "cortical" refers to the cortex.
|
* [[executive function]]s
| 
*[[ADHD]]
*[[addiction]]
*[[schizophrenia]]
|- 
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Nigrostriatal pathway]] 
| The nigrostriatal pathway transmits dopaminergic neurons from the zona compacta of the substantia nigra<ref name=":02">{{cite book | vauthors = Hull EM, Rodríguez-Manzo G | chapter = Male Sexual Behavior |date=2017 | doi = 10.1016/b978-0-12-803592-4.00001-8 | title = Hormones, Brain and Behavior |pages=1–57 |publisher=Elsevier | isbn = 9780128036082 }}</ref> to the [[caudate nucleus]] and [[putamen]].  
The [[substantia nigra]] is located in the midbrain, while both the caudate nucleus and putamen are located in the [[dorsal striatum]].
|
*motor function 
*[[reward system|reward]]-related cognition
*[[associative learning]]
|
*[[addiction]]
*[[chorea]]
*Huntington's disease
*Schizophrenia
*ADHD
*Tourette's Syndrome
*[[Parkinson's&nbsp;disease]]
|- 
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Tuberoinfundibular pathway]] || The tuberoinfundibular pathway transmits dopamine from the [[hypothalamus]] to the [[pituitary gland]].
This pathway controls the secretion of certain [[Hormone|hormones]], including [[prolactin]], from the pituitary gland.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Habibi M | chapter = Acetylcholine ☆ |date=2017 | doi = 10.1016/b978-0-12-809324-5.00464-8 | title = Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology |publisher=Elsevier | isbn = 9780128093245 }}</ref>

"Infundibular" in the word "tuberoinfundibular" refers to the cup or [[Pituitary stalk|''infundibulum'']], out of which the pituitary gland develops.
|
*regulation of prolactin secretion<ref name="Hudepohl_2012">{{cite book | vauthors = Hudepohl NS, Nasrallah HA  | chapter = Antipsychotic drugs |date=2012 | doi = 10.1016/b978-0-444-52002-9.00039-5 | title = Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders | series = Handbook of Clinical Neurology | volume = 106 |pages=657–667 |publisher=Elsevier | pmid = 22608650 | isbn = 9780444520029 | s2cid = 36698721 }}</ref>
|
*[[hyperprolactinaemia]]<ref name="Hudepohl_2012" />
|- 
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Hypothalamospinal tract]] || The tuberoinfundibular pathway not only regulates hormonal balance but also influences locomotor networks in the brainstem and spinal cord. Modulating motor control and coordination, showcasing the interconnected nature of neural circuits in the brain.
| 
*motor function.
| 
*[[restless legs syndrome]]
|- 
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Incertohypothalamic pathway]] || This pathway from the [[zona incerta]] influences the hypothalamus and locomotor centers in the brainstem.
| 
*visceral and sensorimotor activities.
| 
*[[tremor]]
|}

=== Minor ===
:Hypothalamospinal
:* [[Hypothalamus]] → [[Spinal cord]]
:Incertohypothalamic
:* [[Zona incerta]] → [[Hypothalamus]]
:* Zona incerta → [[Brainstem]] VTA → [[Amygdala]] (mesoamygdaloid pathway)<ref name="NHM pathways">{{cite book | vauthors = Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE | veditors = Sydor A, Brown RY | title = Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience | year = 2009 | publisher = McGraw-Hill Medical | location = New York | isbn = 9780071481274 | pages = 147–148, 154–157 | edition = 2nd | chapter = Chapter 6: Widely Projecting Systems: Monoamines, Acetylcholine, and Orexin | quote=Neurons from the SNc densely innervate the dorsal striatum where they play a critical role in the learning and execution of motor programs.  Neurons from the VTA innervate the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens), olfactory bulb, amygdala, hippocampus, orbital and medial prefrontal cortex, and cingulate cortex. VTA DA neurons play a critical role in motivation, reward-related behavior, attention, and multiple forms of memory.&nbsp;... Thus, acting in diverse terminal fields, dopamine confers motivational salience ("wanting") on the reward itself or associated cues (nucleus accumbens shell region), updates the value placed on different goals in light of this new experience (orbital prefrontal cortex), helps consolidate multiple forms of memory (amygdala and hippocampus), and encodes new motor programs that will facilitate obtaining this reward in the future (nucleus accumbens core region and dorsal striatum).&nbsp;... DA has multiple actions in the prefrontal cortex.  It promotes the "cognitive control" of behavior: the selection and successful monitoring of behavior to facilitate attainment of chosen goals.  Aspects of cognitive control in which DA plays a role include working memory, the ability to hold information "on line" in order to guide actions, suppression of prepotent behaviors that compete with goal-directed actions, and control of attention and thus the ability to overcome distractions.&nbsp;... Noradrenergic projections from the LC thus interact with dopaminergic projections from the VTA to regulate cognitive control.}}</ref>
:VTA → [[Hippocampus]]<ref name="NHM pathways" />
:VTA → [[Cingulate cortex]]<ref name="NHM pathways" />
:VTA → [[Olfactory bulb]]<ref name="NHM pathways" />
:SNc → [[Subthalamic nucleus]]<ref name="pmid15380000">{{cite journal | vauthors = Cragg SJ, Baufreton J, Xue Y, Bolam JP, Bevan MD | title = Synaptic release of dopamine in the subthalamic nucleus | journal = The European Journal of Neuroscience | volume = 20 | issue = 7 | pages = 1788–802 | date = October 2004 | pmid = 15380000 | doi = 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03629.x | s2cid = 14698708 | doi-access = free }}</ref>