Mesocortical pathway
Encyclopedia
The mesocortical pathway is a neural pathway
that connects the ventral tegmentum
to the cerebral cortex
, particularly the frontal lobe
s. It is one of the four major dopamine
pathways in the brain
. It is essential to the normal cognitive function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
(part of the frontal lobe), and is thought to be involved in motivation
and emotion
al response.
This pathway may be the brain system that is abnormal or functioning abnormally in psychoses
, such as schizophrenia
. It is thought to be associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
which include avolition
, alogia
and flat affect. This pathway is closely associated with the mesolimbic pathway
, which is also known as the mesolimbic reward pathway.
Neural pathway
A neural pathway, neural tract, or neural face, connects one part of the nervous system with another and usually consists of bundles of elongated, myelin-insulated neurons, known collectively as white matter...
that connects the ventral tegmentum
Ventral tegmentum
The ventral tegmentum , better known as the ventral tegmental area , is a group of neurons located close to the midline on the floor of the midbrain...
to the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. It is constituted of up to six horizontal layers, each of which has a different...
, particularly the frontal lobe
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is an area in the brain of humans and other mammals, located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere and positioned anterior to the parietal lobe and superior and anterior to the temporal lobes...
s. It is one of the four major dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
pathways in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. It is essential to the normal cognitive function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , according to a more restricted definition, is roughly equivalent to Brodmann areas 9 and 46. According to a broader definition DL-PFC consists of the lateral portions of Brodmann areas 9 – 12, of areas 45, 46, and the superior part of area 47. These regions...
(part of the frontal lobe), and is thought to be involved in motivation
Motivation
Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
and emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al response.
This pathway may be the brain system that is abnormal or functioning abnormally in psychoses
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
, such as schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. It is thought to be associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
which include avolition
Avolition
Avolition is a psychological state characterized by general lack of drive, or motivation to pursue meaningful goals. A person may show little participation in work or have little interest in socializing. They may sit still for long periods of time...
, alogia
Alogia
In psychology, alogia , or poverty of speech, is a general lack of additional, unprompted content seen in normal speech. As a symptom, it is commonly seen in patients suffering from schizophrenia, and is considered as a negative symptom...
and flat affect. This pathway is closely associated with the mesolimbic pathway
Mesolimbic pathway
The mesolimbic pathway is one of the dopaminergic pathways in the brain. The pathway begins in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain and connects to the limbic system via the nucleus accumbens, the amygdala, and the hippocampus as well as to the medial prefrontal cortex...
, which is also known as the mesolimbic reward pathway.
Other dopamine pathways
Other major dopamine pathways include:- mesolimbic pathwayMesolimbic pathwayThe mesolimbic pathway is one of the dopaminergic pathways in the brain. The pathway begins in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain and connects to the limbic system via the nucleus accumbens, the amygdala, and the hippocampus as well as to the medial prefrontal cortex...
- nigrostriatal pathwayNigrostriatal pathwayThe nigrostriatal pathway is a neural pathway that connects the substantia nigra with the striatum. It is one of the four major dopamine pathways in the brain, and is particularly involved in the production of movement, as part of a system called the basal ganglia motor loop.Loss of dopamine...
- tuberoinfundibular pathwayTuberoinfundibular pathwayThe tuberoinfundibular pathway refers to a population of dopamine neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the mediobasal hypothalamus that project to the median eminence . It is one of the four major dopamine pathways in the brain...