Posted by Avocado on July 6, 2007, at 6:05:35
In reply to Why does dopamine help in mood?, posted by rjlockhart on July 5, 2007, at 20:44:51
"Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released (particularly in areas such as the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area) by naturally rewarding experiences such as food, sex,[4][5] use of certain drugs and neutral stimuli that become associated with them. This theory is often discussed in terms of drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines, which seem to directly or indirectly lead to the increase of dopamine in these areas, and in relation to neurobiological theories of chemical addiction, arguing that these dopamine pathways are pathologically altered in addicted persons."
poster:Avocado
thread:767953
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070630/msgs/768021.html