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Oct 30, 2023 · Location. The nucleus accumbens forms most of the ventral striatum. It is situated in the basal forebrain anterior to the anterior commissure. It lies just inferior to the anterior limb of the internal capsule, and is continuous with the putamen dorsolaterally and the head of the caudate nucleus dorsomedially.
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- Role of The Nucleus Accumbens in The ‘Reward Circuit ‘
- Other Nucleus Accumbens Function
- Conditions Associated with The Nucleus Accumbens
- References
The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is located in the basal forebrain and is a major structure of the ventral striatum, an area of the brain associated with the limbic system, and regulates limbic functionsof motivation, affect, and reward. There is a NAcc in each cerebral hemisphere, on the left and the right sides, and it is situated between the caudate...
The most widely recognized function of the NAcc is its role in the brain’s reward circuit.The NAcc is a component of a major dopamine pathway of the brain called the mesolimbic pathway. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway is stimulated during rewarding experiences. Essentially, when we do something which is rewarding, such as eating a favorite food or ...
The exact role of the NAcc in the processing of rewards is unclear and believed to be more complex than was originally thought. It is thought that the NAcc is likely involved in learning about rewards, as well as the stimuli that are associated with them. The NAcc also seems to be important in stimulating reward-seeking behaviors and the selection ...
Substance use disorders
Typically, with repeated exposure to a reward, the rewarding feeling will wane. However, with drugs of abuse, the functioning of the reward system can become overwhelming since the effects of these drugs do not wane after repeated exposure. This can be one of the reasons why people develop substance use disorders. Drugs of abuse tend to increase dopamine in the NAcc or change synaptic plasticity, whereas non-abused drugs generally do not affect dopamine in the NAcc or synaptic plasticity. The...
Mood disorders
As the NAcc is involved with cognitive and emotional functions, it may be involved in psychiatric conditions such as mood disorders. Patients with mood disorders have been found to have reduced NAcc activation (Heller et al., 2009). Patients with mood disorders were also found to have reduced NAcc volume in comparison to those without mood disorders (Baumann et al., 1999). A study used deep brain stimulation (a therapy for severe depression that proves resistant to other treatment methods) on...
Anxiety disorders
Due to connections to emotional regions of the brain, specifically the amygdala, the NAcc may be linked to anxiety conditions, which are also thought to be related to emotional regions. It was found that fear memories and anxiety induced by stress appear to be influenced by mechanisms in the NAcc (Du et al., 2019). Deep brain stimulation has been applied to the NAcc of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder, resulting in significant improvements of their sympto...
Berns, G. S., McClure, S. M., Pagnoni, G., & Montague, P. R. (2001). Predictability modulates human brain response to reward. Journal of neuroscience, 21(8), 2793-2798. Bewernick, B. H., Hurlemann, R., Matusch, A., Kayser, S., Grubert, C., Hadrysiewicz, B., Axmacher, N., Lemke, M., Cooper-Mahkorn, D., Cohen, M. X., Brockmann, H., Lenartz, D., Sturm...
People also ask
Where is the nucleus accumbens located?
What is the nucleus accumbens core?
What is another name for nucleus accumbens?
What type of neuron is in the nucleus accumbens?
Location: The nucleus accumbens core is part of the ventral striatum, located within the basal ganglia. Cell types: The core of the NAcc is made up mainly of medium spiny neurons containing mainly D1-type or D2-type dopamine receptors.
This interactive brain model is powered by the Wellcome Trust and developed by Matt Wimsatt and Jack Simpson; reviewed by John Morrison, Patrick Hof, and Edward Lein.
The nucleus accumbens ( nucleus accumbens septi) is located in the rostral and ventral forebrain, where the head of the caudate nucleus and the putamen are continuous (see Fig. 26.4).
Oct 18, 2019 · The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a subcortical brain structure located within the ventral striatum. It is often referred to as the pleasure center of the brain for its primary role in positive affect and feelings of reward, but this is an incomplete description.
The nucleus accumbens is found in an area of the brain called the basal forebrain. There is a nucleus accumbens in each cerebral hemisphere; it is situated between the caudate and putamen. The nucleus accumbens is considered part of the basal ganglia and also is the main component of the ventral striatum.
