Final answer:
The VTA projects DA to the brain areas involved in reward processing, especially the mesolimbic pathway.
Step-by-step explanation:
The VTA (ventral tegmental area) projects DA to many areas of the brain involved in reward processing, particularly the mesolimbic pathway. The mesolimbic pathway originates predominantly from the dorsal sheet of the substantia nigra compacta (SNC), substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), and dorsal VTA. These projections innervate the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens, which play a major role in the limbic-motor integration and complex adaptive behaviors involved in reward and addiction.