A dopamine-rich area in the forebrain that is critical in the physiology of reward.
A part of the brain reward system, located in the limbic system, that processes information related to motivation and reward. Virtually all drugs of abuse act on the nucleus accumbens to reinforce drug taking.
Area of the brain's reward pathway associated with feelings of pleasure. Null Hypothesis: The purpose of most statistical tests is to determine the likelihood that the observed results could have happened by chance given the hypothesis to be tested. The “null” version of a hypothesis (usually a difference in outcome due to difference in conditions) expects no difference. If the statistical test indicates that, given the hypothesis, the observed difference was not likely to have happened by chance, we can reject the hypothesis. Rejecting the null hypothesis rejects the expectation of no effect and encourages acceptance of an effect.
A structure in the brain that plays an important part in dopamine release and stimulant action; part of the ventral striatum and basal ganglia.
Brain region that is a critical part of the reward system. All commonly abused drugs, including alcohol, appear to influence activity in this brain region. See reward system.
A part of the brain reward system, located in the limbic system, is involved in motivation and reward. It is the key brain site where virtually all drugs of abuse act to reinforce drug taking.
A discrete brain area that is part of the limbic system, has a large number of dopamine-containing neurons, and plays a role in the learning and performing of certain behaviors in response to incentive stimuli (i.e., motivation and reinforcement).
region of the brain highly associated with dopamine activity.
The part of the brain related to the limbic system that controls emotions.
The nucleus accumbens (also known as the accumbens nucleus or nucleus accumbens septi [Latin for nucleus leaning against the septum]) is a collection of neurons located where the head of the caudate and the anterior portion of the putamen meet just lateral to the septum pellucidum. The nucleus accumbens can be considered to consist of two structures -- the nucleus accumbens CORE and the nucleus accumbens SHELL. These structures have different morphology and function.
