Nucleus accumbens

This reward circuit involves pathways from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. All drugs of abuse activate this system either directly or indirectly increasing the level of dopamine, although it is also widely recognized that other neurotransmitters, such as opiate peptides, play a role…

a different neurotransmitter and a drug that alters one neurotransmitter can have secondary impacts on another neurotransmitter. In fact, all abused drugs have something in common, which is a dramatic increase in dopamine that signals in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This leads to euphoria and a desire to repeat an experience. An example of this is when Nicotine stimulates dopamine-releasing cells directly by stimulating acetylcholine receptors, and indirectly triggering higher levels of…

A huge amount of interest has been placed in studying oxytocin, not only on for its implication in female reproduction, but also for modulation of several aspects of social behavior. This review will first focus on mammalian organisms. In most of the experiments discussed below, microdialysis was used to measure the level of OT and AVP because of its ability to directly monitor both neuropeptides when released in the brain (Landgraf & Newmann, 2004). a) Social bonding A study on the behavioral…

listen to music, it’s processed in many different areas of the brain. For example, here’s a few areas of the brain and what they control: The Motor Cortex and Cerebellum control movement, foot tapping, dancing, and playing an instrument. The Nucleus Accumbens and Amygdala both control emotional reactions to music. Last, the Auditory Cortex, is the first stage of listening to sounds, and it controls the perception and analysis of tones. There are two kind of emotions related to music: perceived…

Science assignment A lot of young teens or adults experiment with heroin thinking, “I’ll try it once or twice. I can always stop.” But those who start down that road find it nearly impossible to turn back. Heroin is a drug that slows down the messages travelling between your brain and body which can also be classified as a depressant drug a depressant drug, or central depressant drug, is a very commonly used drug for pain relief or endogenous compound that lowers neurotransmission levels, which…

Schizophrenia is a chronic disabling condition afflicting 1 percent of the population (1) and characterized by symptoms that can be broadly divided into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia include perceptual disturbances in the form of auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and disorganized behavior. Negative symptoms may include lack of motivation, social withdrawal, poverty of speech and lack of pleasure. Seven…

Learning Kindness Kindness is very frequently associated as a behavior marked by a compassionate temperament, moral characteristics and concern for others. It is known as a virtue and recognized as a value in many cultures and faiths and various studies have shown the benefits of performing acts of kindness, not only for the recipient, but for the giver, as well. In recent years, a “random acts of kindness” movement began, encouraging others to spread kindness wherever they go, helping to…

Steve Johnson’s, “Why Games are Good For You”, is part of his best-selling book Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, which was published in 2005. Johnson writes about science and culture, specifically the impact of cyber technology on human perception and communication (481). Through this essay, Johnson defends the value of video games, along with other past times that are considered a waste of time. His main claim is that video games teach…

A fair discussion of the effects of pornography first begins with defining exactly what pornography is. The origin of the word “pornography” is Greek, derived from the word “pornographos,” translated to “writing about prostitutes” (D’Orlando 2011). For the purposes of this review, pornography will be defined as the representation of sexual acts with the sole intention of sexually exciting viewers. In this review, only heterosexual pornography and heterosexual relationships will be explored.…

SCIENCE DRUG REPORT – NICOTINE – Lily Gherbaz Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco, which makes tobacco smoking addictive. The chemical formula is C10H14N2 (shown in the diagram below). When nicotine is delivered into the lungs by inhaling smoke, mood and behaviour are regulated from the increase in the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. (Chemical Properties, n.d.) (Botanical extracts, 2009) Nicotine is only one of more than 4,000 chemicals found in the smoke from…