腹側被蓋區

腹側被蓋區（ventral tegmental area，VTA）係中腦最底嘅一個腦區。

VTA 係人腦犒賞系統（reward system）嘅重要一部份：VTA 有份對「顯示有犒賞存在」嘅外界刺激（例如係「見到朋友」或者「聞到嘢食好香」噉）俾反應－VTA 有神經通道連去伏隔核嗰一帶，又有通道連去前額皮層，當一隻動物感知到犒賞出現，伏隔核同前額皮層嘅多巴胺（dopamine；神經傳遞素一種）濃度會突然勁升，而呢啲多巴胺訊號係源自 VTA 嘅，話俾伏隔核同前額皮層知「有犒賞出現」^[1]。簡單噉講，伏隔核嗰頭啲腦區－例如係杏仁核－跟住會負責令隻動物出現動機同情緒上起變化，準備好要採取行動嚟攞想要嘅犒賞，而前額皮層就負責比較「高層」嘅認知功能，例如係衡量件犒賞嘅價值呀噉^[2]^[3]。

睇埋

中腦邊緣通道

攷

↑ Kalivas, P. (1993). Neurotransmitter regulation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Brain Research Reviews, 18 (1), 75-113
↑ Kokane, S. S., & Perrotti, L. I. (2020). Sex differences and the role of estradiol in mesolimbic reward circuits and vulnerability to cocaine and opiate addiction. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 14.
↑ Becker, J. B., & Chartoff, E. (2019). Sex differences in neural mechanisms mediating reward and addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(1), 166-183.

呢篇解剖學文係楔位文。歡迎幫維基百科擴寫佢。

[1] Kalivas, P. (1993). Neurotransmitter regulation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Brain Research Reviews, 18 (1), 75-113

[2] Kokane, S. S., & Perrotti, L. I. (2020). Sex differences and the role of estradiol in mesolimbic reward circuits and vulnerability to cocaine and opiate addiction. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 14.

[3] Becker, J. B., & Chartoff, E. (2019). Sex differences in neural mechanisms mediating reward and addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(1), 166-183.

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