腹侧被盖区（ventral tegmental area, VTA）是多巴胺能神经系统中脑‑边缘和中脑‑皮质通路的起始点。VTA多巴胺能神经元主要向伏隔核和前额叶皮质等区域发出投射，广泛参与奖赏反馈、动机、成瘾以及睡眠‑觉醒节律的调控，是中脑区域内与维持意识密切相关的关键神经元群落。近年来的研究显示，VTA多巴胺能神经元在睡眠‑觉醒和全麻‑觉醒进程中具有重要的促觉醒作用，然而其神经环路机制未被完全阐明。文章综述了VTA多巴胺能神经元及其通过调控下游核团对睡眠‑觉醒和全麻‑觉醒进程的调控及机制研究进展，以期为全面理解全麻药物作用机制和睡眠‑觉醒中的觉醒机制提供新的思路。
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) originates the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways of the dopamine nervous system. Dopaminergic neurons in the VTA mainly project to the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex and are widely involved in regulating reward, motivation, addiction, sleep‑wake rhythm, and the maintenance of consciousness. Recent evidence indicates that dopaminergic neurons in the VTA play an essential role in promoting arousal during the sleep‑wake circle and general anesthesia‑wake process. However, the neural circuit mechanism of the arousal‑promoting effect of the VTA dopaminergic neurons needs to be further investigated. This article summarizes the recent progress on the role and mechanism of these dopaminergic neurons and their downstream targets in regulating the sleep‑wake and general anesthesia‑wake process. In order to provide new clues and ideas in understanding the arousal‑promoting mechanism of general anesthesia and the sleep‑wake rhythm.
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