Nucleus accumbens--our brain's pleasure center
Who knew that our brain has a pleasure center? The nucleus accumbens is the structure in our brain where dopamine or norepinephrine is released. Whenever you think of something pleasant and start thinking about it and start wanting it, you have just activated your nucleus accumbens. However, it also depends on how much you want it to activate large areas of the nucleus accumbens. For example, if someone "likes" chocolate only a small area of the nucleus accumbens activates, but if that person "wants" chocolate and has a need for it, then a large area activates. Thus you get a sense of pleasure and happiness when you think of something you want because that thought releases dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Now it's good to know that our brain can make us happy through this structure, but it can also be our downfall. People who take addictive drugs activate the nucleus accumbens, thus they are at an all-consuming drive to obtain the drug even though it no longer provides them with the pleasure they need. Thus the nucleus accumbens makes them want the drug more because it increases the release of dopamine. Once the person is addicted, the uptake of the drug will interfere with the brain's normal functioning since the brain will have to be competing with the now sensitive nucleus accumbens. An article called The addicted brain discusses how our brain gets addicted to drugs and the significance it has to finding treatment or prevention. This is one step to helping those that suffer from addiction, and all because of the pleasure we receive from our nucleus accumbens.
I also found the pleasure center very interesting. I am more interested in how the pleasure center is intertwined with social likes or wants like Facebook. I want to see if the pleasure center acts up when someone is on Facebook or any other social media site.
ReplyDeleteThis subject in the chapter was very interesting. Just thinking about how our brain has a pleasure center is fascinating! I liked how you elaborated more on this subject. Hopefully we can go over this subject in class on how the pleasure center is intertwined with some of our behaviors I'm also curious to learn more.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting because I have a habit of putting chapstick almost every 30 minutes or else. It started off as one application daily then more and more often to the point that I have chapsticks everywhere. In my head it is more like I "want" it just because I cannot have my lips dry. I have tried applying less of it because I have heard it can turn into a serious problems.
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