Ventral Tegmentum

AKA: Ventral Tegmental Area.
Context:
- It is a component in the brain's Pleasure Center.
- It is associated with the Ventral Striatum.
- …
Counter-Example(s):
- a Nucleus Accumbens.
See: Nucleus Accumbens Shell, Human Reward Senson, Amygdala, Addiction, Mesocorticolimbic Projection, Reward System, Cognition, Motivation, Orgasm, Substance Dependence, Psychiatric Disorders, Prefrontal Cortex.

References

(Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventral_tegmental_area Retrieved:2016-6-28.
- The ventral tegmental area (VTA), (tegmentum is Latin for covering), also known as the ventral tegmental area of Tsai, or simply ventral tegmentum, is a group of neurons located close to the midline on the floor of the midbrain (mesencephalon). The VTA is the origin of the dopaminergic cell bodies of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system and is widely implicated in the drug and natural reward circuitry of the brain. It is important in cognition, motivation, orgasm, drug addiction, intense emotions relating to love, and several psychiatric disorders. The VTA contains neurons that project to numerous areas of the brain, from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to the caudal brainstem and several regions in between.

(Szalavitz, 2016) ⇒ Maia Szalavitz. (2016). “Can You Get Over an Addiction?.” In: The New York Times, June 25, 2016
- QUOTE: The studies show that addiction alters the interactions between midbrain regions like the ventral tegmentum and the nucleus accumbens, which are involved with motivation and pleasure, and parts of the prefrontal cortex that mediate decisions and help set priorities. Acting in concert, these networks determine what we value in order to ensure that we attain critical biological goals: namely, survival and reproduction. In essence, addiction occurs when these brain systems are focused on the wrong objects: a drug or self-destructive behavior like excessive gambling instead of a new sexual partner or a baby.