Which brain region contains dopaminergic neurons that contribute to arousal?

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Dopamine helps keep you awake by signaling motivationally relevant cues and sustaining arousal through specific midbrain networks. The ventral periaqueductal gray contains dopaminergic neurons that modulate arousal by engaging circuits involved in alertness and motivated behavior. The other regions are driven by different neurotransmitters: locus coeruleus is mainly noradrenergic and promotes general arousal; pedunculopontine/lateral tegmental areas are cholinergic and support wakefulness and REM sleep; dorsal raphe is serotonergic with a more complex role in arousal and mood. So, the ventral periaqueductal gray best fits as the dopaminergic contributor to arousal.