The Rostromedial Tegmental (RMTg) "brake" on Dopamine and Behavior: A Decade of Progress but Also Much Unfinished Work

Overview

Journal Neuropharmacology

Specialties Neurology
Pharmacology

Date 2021 Aug 25

PMID 34433088

Citations 17

Authors

Thomas C Jhou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Between 2005 and 2009, several research groups identified a strikingly dense inhibitory input to midbrain dopamine neurons arising from a previously uncharted region posterior to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This region is now denoted as either the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) or the "tail of the VTA" (tVTA), and is recognized to express distinct genetic markers, encode negative "prediction errors" (inverse to dopamine neurons), and play critical roles in behavioral inhibition and punishment learning. RMTg neurons are also influenced by many categories of abused drugs, and may drive some aversive responses to such drugs, particularly cocaine and alcohol. However, despite much progress, many important questions remain about RMTg molecular/genetic properties, diversity of projection targets, and applications to addiction, depression, and other neuropsychiatric disorders. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.

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