The Brain Reward System

In human behavior, reward and punishment play a crucial role in satisfaction and aversion. Humans learn and become accustomed to experiences that bring about reward and satisfaction. Therefore, if a stimulus can induce a reward, it can leave a strong memory trace in the human mind and elicit the pursuit of behaviors to regain that reward. The provision of reward and the experience of pleasure in the brain are facilitated through the stimulation of various regions in the brainstem, midbrain, and forebrain, including the VTA, substantia nigra, hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. The dopaminergic system of the body is the central mediator of the effects of addictive substances, and these substances ultimately exert a stimulatory effect on this system. The dopaminergic system is connected to several other important brain systems, and it appears that in some cases, the effects of substances can be mediated and transmitted through other systems. These other systems can act as intermediaries for the effects of addictive substances, ultimately leading to the stimulation of the brain's reward circuits and the experience of pleasure. Some of these other systems include the serotonergic and GABAergic systems (Jajvandian,2009). Consequently, the major neurotransmitters that may be involved in the development of substance abuse include the opioid system, the catecholamines, particularly dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

The Brain Reward System Keywords:

حقوقی , brain , مقاله علمی , پزشکی , انگلیسی