Dopamine pathways and brain structure recap Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are the 4 main dopaminergic pathways in the brain?
Nigrostriatal
Mesolimbic
Mesocortical
Tuberoinfundibular
What function does nigrostriatal pathway provide?
Motor control
Planning and execution of movements
Where does the nigrostriatal pathway start and end?
Starts in substantia nigra, ends in striatum
Degeneration of which pathway is a key factor in Parkinson’s disease?
Nigrostriatal pathway
What is the function of the mesolimbic pathway?
Reward, motivation and pleasure, particularly in response to pleasurable stimuli
Where does the mesolimbic pathway start and end?
Starts in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ends in nucleus accumbens and other limbic structures
When is the mesolimbic pathway overstimulated?
Addiction and some symptoms of schizophrenia
What is the function of the mesocortical pathway?
Cognition, executive function and emotional processing
Where does the mesocortical pathway start and end?
Starts in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ends in various regions of the prefrontal cortex
There are changes to what when the mesocortical pathway is affected?
Learning, memory and higher cognitive functions
What is the function of the tuberoinfundibular pathway?
Regulates release of prolactin
Where does the tuberoinfundibular pathway start and end?
Starts in hypothalamus and ends in pituitary gland
What can disruption to the tuberoinfundibular pathway cause?
Hyperprolactinaemia
What is the substantia nigra?
Midbrain structure, part of basal ganglia. Crucial role in controlling motor movement.
What is the striatum?
Group of interconnected nuclei making up subcortical basal ganglia.
Consists of caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens
What is the VTA (ventral tegmental area)?
Midbrain region crucial in reward processing, motivation and learning. Involved in emotional regulation.
What is the nucleus accumbens?
Subcortical brain structure. Important for connecting emotional and motivational information to action
What is the hypothalamus?
Located below thalamus, plays role in regulating temperature, hunger, sleep…
Control centre for endocrine system
Responsible for hormone regulation, homeostasis, autonomic nervous system control
What is the prefrontal cortex involved in?
Higher-order cognitive functions (decision-making, reasoning and personality expression)
What are the 2 parts that make up the susbtantia nigra?
pars reticula and pars compacta
Cells of the p___ c____ contain the dark pigment _____. These cells synthesis ______.
pars compacta
melanin
dopamine
Name the 2 structures of the basal ganglia involved in mediating movement and motor co-ordination?
Caudate nucleus and putamen
What is the ventral striatum made up of?
caudate + putamen + nucleus accumbens
What is the lentiform nucleus made up of?
Putamen and globus pallidus
(grey matter but no functional relationship)
