Mesocortical pathway

The mesocortical pathway is a dopaminergic pathway that connects the ventral tegmentum to the cerebral cortex, in particular the frontal lobes. It is one of the four major dopamine pathways in the brain. It is essential to the normal cognitive function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (part of the frontal lobe), and is thought to be involved in cognitive control, motivation, and emotional response.