“…Besides these essential and more established roles for DA neurons of the VTA, there is growing awareness of several other functions in which this area is also involved. Through its connections with structures such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and the hypothalamus, the VTA influences spatial learning [6], social behaviors [7], fear [8], food consumption [9], and even analgesia [10]. This considerable diversity is likely due to the heterogeneity of the VTA, the complexity of which is being constantly updated [3,11].…”