The Nucleus Accumbens is the region of our brain responsible for classifying the sensations we perceive. It tells us whether we are experiencing a positive or negative sensation, such as pleasure, reward, or punishment. We explain how this brain structure works.
Reward processes
The human brain has two such areas, one in each hemisphere, in the lower part of the brain. They are integrated into the mesolimbic pathway, the extension of the brain responsible for generating a response when we receive a stimulus.
According to the latest research, in the part of the nucleus Accumbens known as the cortex, we find neurons equipped with dopamine receptors. These show immediate reward responses to drugs. Through their synapses, neurons release a stimulus with each impact, increasing dopamine levels. And this is the substance responsible for the sensation we experience when faced with a positive stimulus. When we are motivated or feel something pleasurable, the small sections of the Nucleus Accumbens react, generating that sensation.
The Nucleus Accumbens is said to act as a mediator in reward processes. This is because when a pleasure-generating situation occurs, our body interprets high dopamine levels as a reward for a positive stimulus. The mechanism also works with negative stimuli. The difference is that it then creates a sensation of rejection, of aversion.
The Nucleus Accumbens and dopamine play a fundamental role in experiencing pleasure and learning. They help store information in our brain about events that constantly occur to us. Subsequently, they are saved in our memory, allowing us to recall them and thus creating a reservoir of acquired experience.
The role of the Nucleus Accumbens in drug addiction
Dopamine increases every time we experience a positive sensation and also occurs with the consumption of certain substances. And some of which we identify as “drugs.” It is known that repetitive drug use modifies the stimulus-reward cycle. A person who regularly takes narcotics develops progressive immunity to the stimulus. Reaching the sensation of reward will become increasingly difficult and will demand greater consumption due to habituation to this stimulus.
That the Nucleus Accumbens plays a significant role in addictions is a recognized fact. How it acts exactly and what possibilities it offers in the control of dependence is one of the current fields of research.
