Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method
Published on: February 26, 2018
Opioid and hypocretin neuromodulation of ventral tegmental area neuronal subpopulations
Taylor S Thomas1, Corey Baimel2, Stephanie L Borgland1
1Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Abstract:
The current view of the midbrain dopaminergic system is evolving towards a complex system of subpopulations of neurons with distinct afferent and efferent connections and, importantly, functionally different intrinsic characteristics. Recent literature on the phenotypic diversity of dopaminergic neurons has outlined that in the ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons are not as anatomically or electrophysiologically homogeneous as they were once thought to be. Instead, the midbrain dopaminergic system is now understood to be composed of anatomically and functionally heterogeneous dopaminergic subpopulations receiving specific afferent inputs and with different axonal projections. An additional layer of complexity is the neuromodulation of each of these dopaminergic circuits. This review will examine the distinguishing electrophysiological and neuromodulatory characteristics of the afferent and efferent connections of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.
Linked Articles:
This article is part of a themed section on Emerging Areas of Opioid Pharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.14/issuetoc.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Analgesia and Pain Management
Regulation of Food Intake
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action

