In the hypothalamus, there is a neural circuit known as the melanocortin system, which includes two populations of neuron located in the arcuate nucleus, that express the proopiomelanocortin propeptide (POMC) and agouti-related protein (AgRP) (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). POMC propeptide is the precursor to the melanocyte-stimulating hormones (α, β, and γ-MSH) (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The melanocortin system plays a significant role in controlling feeding and body weight (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). It is done through the POMC and AgRP neurons, which monitor the energy state, and modulate feeding and in effect body weight through the activation of these neurons (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The melanocortin system
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2015). There are two primary systems of dopamine, which are the mesocorticolimbic and mesostriatal dopamine systems (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mescocoticolimbic dopamine system has dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain and plays a significant role in motivated behavior and reward processing (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The dopamine neurons of this system project to the ventral striatum, olfactory tubercle, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mesostriatal dopamine system has dopamine neurons located in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of the midbrain, that project to the dorsal striatum (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mesostiatal system plays a role in motor coordination and movement (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The lateral hypothalamus, rostromedial tegmental nucleus, ventral pallidum, amygdala, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus are afferent inputs to dopamine neurons that cause a shift from pacemaker firing (~2-4Hz) of action potentials to burst firing (~15Hz of about 5 action potentials followed by a pause) (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). Another neurotransmitter, glutamate, activates the NMDA receptor, which can cause an excitatory signal and a
2015). There are two primary systems of dopamine, which are the mesocorticolimbic and mesostriatal dopamine systems (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mescocoticolimbic dopamine system has dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain and plays a significant role in motivated behavior and reward processing (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The dopamine neurons of this system project to the ventral striatum, olfactory tubercle, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mesostriatal dopamine system has dopamine neurons located in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of the midbrain, that project to the dorsal striatum (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The mesostiatal system plays a role in motor coordination and movement (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). The lateral hypothalamus, rostromedial tegmental nucleus, ventral pallidum, amygdala, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus are afferent inputs to dopamine neurons that cause a shift from pacemaker firing (~2-4Hz) of action potentials to burst firing (~15Hz of about 5 action potentials followed by a pause) (Roseberry, Stuhrman et al. 2015). Another neurotransmitter, glutamate, activates the NMDA receptor, which can cause an excitatory signal and a