Mesolimbic pathway

The mesolimbic pathway, sometimes referred to as the reward pathway, is a dopaminergic pathway in the brain. The pathway connects the ventral tegmental area in the midbrain, to the ventral striatum of the basal ganglia in the forebrain. The ventral striatum includes the nucleus accumbens and the olfactory tubercle. The release of dopamine from the mesolimbic pathway into the nucleus accumbens regulates incentive salience (i.e., motivation and desire for rewarding stimuli) and facilitates reinforcement and reward-related motor function learning; it may also play a role in the subjective perception of pleasure. The dysregulation of the mesolimbic pathway and its output neurons in the nucleus accumbens plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of an addiction.The mesolimbic pathway is a collection of dopaminergic (i.e., dopamine-releasing) neurons that project from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the ventral striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and olfactory tubercle. It is one of the component pathways of the medial forebrain bundle, which is a set of neural pathways that mediate brain stimulation reward.The mesolimbic pathway regulates incentive salience, motivation, reinforcement learning, and fear, among other cognitive processes.The mesolimbic pathway and a specific set of the pathway's output neurons (i.e., D1-type medium spiny neurons within the nucleus accumbens) play a central role in the neurobiology of addiction. It is also implicated in schizophrenia and depression, and is theorised to be implicated in overuse of digital media. Addiction, schizophrenia, and depression all involve distinct structural changes within the mesolimbic pathway. Abuse may also impact the mesolimbic pathway. A 2017 study found that adverse life events - emotional, physical, and sexual abuse - were associated with a heightened limbic response to cocaine. In other words, individuals who had previously suffered abuse were more likely to have a brain pathway primed for cocaine or drug use.