The majority of dopamine-producing neurons are located in the following three regions of the brain.
- Substantia nigra: Controls voluntary movement through the nigrostriatal pathway; degeneration of these neurons is the hallmark of Parkinson disease.
- Ventral tegmental area (VTA): Gives rise to the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways, which regulate reward, motivation, learning, emotion, and decision-making.
- Hypothalamus: Produces dopamine that regulates hormone secretion, particularly by inhibiting the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland.
Although these regions contain relatively few neurons compared with the entire brain, their extensive connections allow dopamine to influence many aspects of behavior, movement, and physiology..