PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Cocaine causes many types of intermediate-term alterations in brain cell functioning. For example, exposure to the drug can alter the amounts of dopamine transporters or dopamine receptors present on the surface of nerve cells.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -The Crucial Reward Neurotransmitter in the Brain is Dopamine The crucial brain reward neurotransmitter activated by addictive drugs is dopamine, specifically in the “second-stage” ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens link in the brain’s reward circuitry.

Detailed explanation-4: -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-5: -The NAc, also called ventral striatum, is a principal target of VTA dopamine neurons. This region mediates the rewarding effects of natural rewards and drugs of abuse.