AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Just as heroin or morphine and cocaine activate the reward pathway in the VTA and nucleus accumbens, other drugs such as nicotine and alcohol activate this pathway as well, although sometimes indirectly (point to the globus pallidus, an area activated by alcohol that connects to the reward pathway).

Detailed explanation-2: -All addictive drugs affect brain pathways involving reward-that is, the dopamine system in the reward pathway. Within seconds to minutes of entering the body, drugs cause dramatic changes to synapses in the brain. By activating the brain’s reward circuitry, drugs deliver a jolt of intense pleasure.

Detailed explanation-3: -Dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway is known to play an important role in the rewarding effects of both drugs of abuse and foods. Addictive drugs and palatable foods activate DA-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc).

Detailed explanation-4: -Addictions center around alterations in the brain’s mesolimbic dopamine pathway, also known as the reward circuit, which begins in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) above the brain stem.