the reward pathway is located in the midbrain of the brain.
the reward pathway is located in the midbrain of the brain.
where is the reward pathway located in the brain?
the midbrain
the mesolimbic pathway, sometimes referred to as the reward pathway, is a dopaminergic pathway in the brain. the pathway connects the ventral tegmental area in the midbrain, to the ventral striatum of the basal ganglia in the forebrain. the ventral striatum includes the nucleus accumbens and the olfactory tubercle. the release of dopamine from the mesolimbic pathway into the nucleus accumbens regulates incentive salience (i.e., motivation and desire for rewarding stimuli) and facilitates reinforcement and reward-related motor function learning; it may also play a role in the subjective perception of pleasure. the dysregulation of the mesolimbic pathway and its output neurons in the nucleus accumbens plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of an addiction.
mesolimbic pathway
the nucleus accumbens is a formation of neurons and is important in reward pathway activation. as previously mentioned, the reward pathway is an integral part in the induction of curiosity. the release of dopamine in investigating response to novel or exciting stimuli. the fast dopamine release observed during childhood and adolescence is important in development, as curiosity and exploratory behavior are the largest facilitators of learning during early years.
curiosity