Opioid withdrawal cuts off the supply of serotonin to the nucleus accumbens, dramatically reducing sociability in mice and increasing social aversion.
Higher levels of glutathione in the nucleus accumbens correlated with better and more steady performance in motivation-based tasks. Findings suggest improvements in accumbal anti-oxidant function that can be acquired via diet or supplementation may be a feasible approach to help boost motivation.
Study reveals the mechanism of the nucleus accumbens for mediating reward and aversion.
Study reveals how methylphenidate interacts with cognitive control networks and attention behaviors. Methylphenidate changes spontaneous neural activity in reward and cognitive control systems in children with ADHD. The changes result in more stable sustained attention.
Glucose takes longer to get into the nucleus accumbens of obesity-prone rat models. Researchers also discovered excess levels of glutamate in obesity-prone rats, implying a deficiency in the neurotransmitter recycling process normally maintained by astrocytes.
