Mesolimbic Reward System

Question 1

What does the Mesolimbic Reward System do?

Answer 1

Evaluates, regulates and reinforces appetitive behaviours through dopaminergic signalling and is a core brain system for processing reward value
- it transports dopamine from the ventral tegmental area to dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala

Question 2

In the Mesolimbic reward system, what dopaminergic pathways are used?

Answer 2

Lateral septum
medial extended amygdala/ basolateral amygdala

Question 3

Which areas of the brain interact to motivate sex-typical social behaviours?

Answer 3

Preoptic area (POA)
Mesolimbic dopamine circuitry

Question 4

Which area of the brain receives dopaminergic input from the VTA (Ventral tegmental area)?

Answer 4

Subregions of the BNST (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis)

Question 5

Young and Wang (2004) integrated reward basis in which two brain systems?

Answer 5

Mesolimbic reward system
Reproductive behaviours of the SBN

Question 6

Which regions of the male tu’ngara frogs’ brain, responds to females’ calls?

Answer 6

hypothalamic and dopaminergic regions of the brain

(Hoke et al, 2007)

Question 7

Give 2 pieces of evidence that show the SBN and mesolimbic reward system are linked

Answer 7

Any of:

a) important interactions between the POA and mesolimbic dopamine circuitry for the motivation to engage in sex-typical social behaviours (Greenberg and Trainer, 2016)

b) subregions of the BNST receive dopaminergic input from the VTA (Hasue and Shammah-Lagnado, 2002).

c) work in monogamous voles has integrated the rewarding basis of being with a mate in the mesolimbic reward system with reproductive behaviors of the SBN (Young and Wang, 2004)

d) tu ́ngara frogs: male neural response to conspecific calls in females: both hypothalamic and dopaminergic regions respond to an attractive call (Hoke et al., 2007).