This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Mesolimbic reward pathway is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
 |
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into dopamine pathways. () |
The mesolimbic pathway is one of the neural pathways in the brain that links the ventral tegmentum in the midbrain to the nucleus accumbens, which is located in the striatum and is a part of the limbic system. It is one of the four major pathways where the neurotransmitter dopamine is found.
Contents |
Function
The mesolimbic pathway is thought to be involved in producing pleasurable feeling, and is often associated with feelings of reward and desire, particularly because of the connection to the nucleus accumbens, which is also associated with these states. Because of this, this pathway is heavily implicated in neurobiological theories of addiction. However, recent research has pointed towards this pathway being involved in incentive salience rather than euphoric mood states.
Clinical significance
The mesolimbic pathway is one of the major pathways targeted by antipsychotic medication. Although the process is not fully understood, it has been found that disruption of dopamine function (particularly, an excess of dopamine) in this area has been linked to psychosis and the 'positive symptoms' of schizophrenia[1] (particularly delusions and hallucinations). Successful antipsychotic medication is therefore thought to have its effect by blocking dopamine receptors in this pathway.
Dopamine neurons are lost in the mesolimbic pathway in Parkinson's Disease; however, they are lost far more quickly in the nigrostriatal pathway. Because deficits do not become apparent until a reduction of 80-90% in the numbers of neurons, their loss here is asymptomatic.
Other dopamine pathways
The other dopamine pathways are:
References
- ^ Diaz, Jaime. How Drugs Influence Behavior. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1996.
See also
External links
- Diagram at Utah.edu
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 23 August 2008, at 19:43.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Mesolimbic reward pathway".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.