Talk:Ventral tegmental area

Tonic / Phasic in Reward section

"Normally, the dopaminergic neurons are only phasically active"

Isn't it the case that DA neurons are normally tonically active, facilitating depression of firing to aversive signals and only phasic for reward predictions? Hamdev (talk) 11:13, 5 May 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I'm pretty sure you're right. Please feel free to correct the error if you can. Looie496 (talk) 14:16, 5 May 2013 (UTC)

Plain English explanation of role of VTA in human behavior

As I understand it, the VTA is the brain center that allows human beings to become addicted to all the drugs listed on the page; to food; and to become addicted to sexual intercourse, masturbation, viewing pornography, sexual stalking, sexual possessiveness, sexual rage, sexual violence, rape, and murder.

I understand that the mechanism for this is that with increasing intensity and frequency of sensory input to the VTA from the above stimuli, repetitive dopamine assaults on the dopamine receptors in the VTA cause a compensatory reduction in their number in order to modulate the response; so that the next comparable "dose" of input results in a lesser "reward"; or restated, a greater input is required to create a comparable intensity of satisfaction. More and more input creates ever lesser gratification, and withdrawal creates intense cravings. If the "inputs" are readily available, the result is addiction.

The evolutionary advantage of the VTA to early humans was that because food and sex were extremely difficult to obtain, there was survival value for a neural mechanism promoting intense desires which lead to behavior that promoted the species. But now that in modern society food, sexual stimuli, and addicting drugs are readily available to us all, the presence of the VTA, which used to promote survival, now creates antisocial and self destructive survival-averse behavior. In other words, it explains most of the personal woes of the modern world.

I have no references to any of the above at my fingertips. I will leave this here for a few days to see if there are any comments, reactions, or corrections. If not, I will add the above three paragraphs to the lead.

Regards -

IiKkEe (talk) 00:19, 13 May 2014 (UTC)

Primary Source?? Maybe?

Found a primary source on the effects of VTA stimulation on BOLD measured brain activity of rats. yes or no — Preceding unsigned comment added by Petergstrom (talk • contribs) 01:20, 18 December 2016 (UTC)

I'm sorry, what are you asking? Looie496 (talk) 16:23, 18 December 2016 (UTC)

Can I add info from a primary source?Petergstrom (talk) 21:05, 18 December 2016 (UTC)

A secondary source would be better, if you can find one that covers the point. Looie496 (talk) 22:04, 18 December 2016 (UTC)

Subpallidum

@Looie496 and Tryptofish: Do either of you know what brain structure/region the subpallidum/subpallidal area is referring to in this text from the article?

"Subpallidal afferents into the VTA are mainly GABAergic and, thus, inhibitory. There is a substantial pathway from the subpallidal area to the VTA. When this pathway is disinhibited, an increase in the dopamine release in the mesolimbic pathway amplifies locomotor activity."

Seppi333 (Insert 2¢) 19:44, 17 January 2018 (UTC)

It's a sort of "miscellaneous" group of structures beneath the globus pallidus. Here's a good description of the neuroanatomy: [1]. --Tryptofish (talk) 21:42, 17 January 2018 (UTC)