Electrophysiological identification of mesencephalic ventromedial tegmental (VMT) neurons projecting to the frontal cortex, septum and nucleus accumbens

The electrophysiological properties of neurons located in the mesencephalic ventromedial tegmentum (VMT) and the organization of the efferents of these neurons to the frontal cortex, the septum, the nucleus accumbens and the head of the striatum were studied in ketamine-anesthetized rats. The projections of the VMT cells were determined through use of the antidromic activation method. Our results show that VMT projections to different target areas originate mainly from different VMT neurons. However, in some cases single VMT neurons were found to send axon collaterals to two different areas. Three branching patterns were observed: septum-cortex, septum--nucleus accumbens and septum--striatum. The occasional observation of temporally distinct antodromic responses from a single area was considered to result from activation of different branches of the arborizing axon. The distribution of antidromic response latencies for VMT projections to each structure is discussed in relation to the question of dopaminergic versus non-dopaminergic mesolimbic and mesocortical systems.