Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
J Neurosci. 2012 Oct 10;32(41):14094-101. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3370-12.2012.
A new mesopontine structure exerting a strong influence on dopamine systems has recently been defined: the tail of the ventral tegmental area/rostromedial tegmental nucleus (tVTA/RMTg). This review presents a neuroanatomical, physiological, and behavioral overview of some of the recent and ongoing research on this brain region and its relationship with dopamine systems. The tVTA/RMTg sends dense GABA projections to VTA and substantia nigra neurons. The inhibitory influence of tVTA/RMTg on dopamine neurons is supported by both neuroanatomical and electrophysiology data. The latter studies also reveal the tVTA/RMTg as a substrate for morphine and cannabinoid action on dopamine cells. In primates, the tVTA/RMTg has been implicated in reward prediction error signals, through a basal ganglia-lateral habenula-tVTA/RMTg-dopamine-basal ganglia circuit. In rodents, the tVTA/RMTg has been shown to play a critical role in aversive behaviors, particularly those involving behavioral inhibition, such as freezing and avoidance. These findings highlight the functional importance of the tVTA/RMTg as a major GABA brake for dopamine systems.
腹侧被盖区/红核网状部尾部（tVTA/RMTg）。本篇综述介绍了该脑区及其与多巴胺系统关系的一些最新和正在进行的神经解剖学、生理学和行为学研究的概述。tVTA/RMTg 向 VTA 和黑质神经元发出密集的 GABA 投射。神经解剖学和电生理学数据都支持 tVTA/RMTg 对多巴胺神经元的抑制作用。这些后续研究还揭示了 tVTA/RMTg 是吗啡和大麻素对多巴胺细胞作用的基础。在灵长类动物中，tVTA/RMTg 通过基底神经节-外侧缰核-tVTA/RMTg-多巴胺-基底神经节回路参与到奖励预测误差信号中。在啮齿类动物中，已经表明 tVTA/RMTg 在厌恶行为中起着关键作用，特别是那些涉及行为抑制的行为，如冻结和回避。这些发现强调了 tVTA/RMTg 作为多巴胺系统主要 GABA 制动器的功能重要性。
