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nucleus accumbens

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·March 29, 2021·3 min read

Why the Brain Enjoys Music

Interaction between auditory areas of the brain and the reward system drive pleasure when we listen to music.

Image shows insulin receptors in a rodent brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 27, 2015·4 min read

Insulin Influences Dopamine Levels

A new study reports that when there is more insulin in the brain, more dopamine will be released.

This image shows the anatomy to the VTA with the striatum, nucleus accumbens and substantia nigra labelled.

Featured Psychology

·July 21, 2015·3 min read

A New Target For Depression Treatment

Researchers have identified a potential new target to treat recurring depression.

Image shows a brain scan with the nac highlighted.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 29, 2016·5 min read

Religious Beliefs Activate Neural Reward Circuits in Same Way As Sex and Drugs

Powerful spiritual feelings were associated with activation in the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain associated with reward, a new study reports.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 27, 2016·6 min read

Pinpointing a Brain Circuit That Keeps Fear at Bay

Researchers have discovered a method to prolong the benefits of extinction and identified a new way to improve exposure therapy in people suffering from phobias and PTSD.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 29, 2020·4 min read

Nucleus Accumbens Neuron Ensembles Recruited by Cocaine and Sugar Are Different

Cocaine and sucrose neuron ensembles in the nucleus accumbens are mostly non-overlapping.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 25, 2022·3 min read

The Connection Between Loss of Motivation and Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

Targeting synaptic calcium permeable receptors in the nucleus accumbens and blocking them could delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's associated neuropsychiatric symptoms, and ultimately cognitive decline.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 8, 2024·5 min read

Brain Area Linked to Mood Swings in Bipolar Disorder

A new study identifies brain areas linked to mood swings and pleasure response in bipolar disorder. Researchers found that people with bipolar disorder show heightened activity in the ventral striatum during rewards, explaining extreme mood shifts. Reduced communication between the ventral striatum and anterior insula may contribute to these mood changes. These findings could lead to better treatments for managing bipolar disorder.

This image shows a fried egg with a pink brain over the top.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 14, 2015·4 min read

High Fat Diets Can Impair Critical Motivational Pathway

A new study reports high fat diets can impair the function of the mesolimbic dopamine system.

Image shows the location of the NAC in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 1, 2016·5 min read

Deactivation of Brain Receptors in Postmenopausal Women May Lead to Lack of Physical Activity

Researchers have discovered a connection between a lack of ovarian hormones and changes in the nucleus accembens following menopause.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 27, 2023·4 min read

Early-Life Stress Can Disrupt Maturation of Brain’s Reward Circuits, Promoting Disorders

Researchers have identified a novel stress-sensitive pathway in the reward system of the brain that releases corticotropin-releasing hormone in response to stress. Adverse experiences cause this pathway to become overactive.