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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biochem Pharmacol. 2007 Jun 30;75(1):218–265. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2007.06.039

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3

Sagittal section of the rodent brain showing neuroanatomical interactions between glutamate and mesolimbic dopamine systems. The “reward circuit” is hypothesized to consist of dopamine-synthesizing cell bodies in the VTA that project rostrally to innervate the NAcc, Amyg and FC, as well as other regions such as the portions of the CPu and ventral pallidum (not shown). This mesolimbic reward pathway is robustly innervated by glutamate-containing neurons. Dopamine-containing cell bodies in the VTA receive glutamatergic input from the PPT, LDT, Amyg and FC. The NAcc receives a host of glutamatergic innervation from the FC, Hipp, Thal, and Amyg. The FC receives glutamatergic input from the Hipp, Thal and Amyg. Drawing adapted from the atlas of Franklin and Paxinos [906]. Abbreviations: Amyg, amygdala; CPu, caudate-putamen (dorsal striatum); FC, frontal cortex; Hipp, hippocampus; LDT, laterodorsal tegmentum; NAcc, nucleus accumbens; PPT, pedunculopontine tegmentum; Thal, thalamus; VTA, ventral tegmental area.