Shows the dopamine pathways in the brain. Dopamine is critical for reward, motivation, movement control, and emotional regulation.
A better way to put it is that our brains are wired to specifically make dopamine responsible for reward, motivation, etc. This is because different neurons can have a different number of receptors for different neurotransmitters. Some neurons are fundamentally designed to excite to dopamine more than others. (same goes for all the other types of neurotransmitters).
Nigrostriatal System
neurons release dopamine from the substantia nigra and project to the basalGanglia
Mesolimbic System
neurons project from VTA to the limbic structures and basalGanglia
Mesocortical System
neurons project from VTA and to the cerebralCortex