Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons
Published on: November 2, 2016
Diversity and development of local inhibitory and excitatory neurons associated with dopaminergic nuclei
Francesca Morello1, Juha Partanen1
1Department of Biosciences, Division of Genetics, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract:
For regulation of voluntary movement and motivation the midbrain dopaminergic system receives input from a variety of brain regions. Often this input is mediated by local non-dopaminergic neurons within or closely associated with the dopaminergic nuclei. In addition to the dopaminergic neurons, some of these non-dopaminergic neurons also send functionally important output from the ventral midbrain to forebrain targets. The aim of this review is to introduce subtypes of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons, which are located in the dopaminergic nuclei or the adjacent brainstem and are important for the regulation of the dopaminergic pathways. In addition, we discuss recent studies beginning to reveal mechanisms for their development, which may hold the key to understanding the diversity of these neurons.
Related Concept Videos
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
Neural Regulation
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis
Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission

