Question

description of the reward network of the brain, including the brain regions and neurotransmitters involved. Provide at least one example of how this reward network is beneficial to the survival of the individual or the species. Next, describe how this reward network is misappropriated by addictive substances or behaviors. Then, specifically, describe how at least one addictive substance or behavior makes use of this reward network.

Answer 1

1.The Reward Network in the brain refers to the multiple structures in the brain that are activated by the act of rewarding. The brain regions that are involved in the reward network are "Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway". The Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway connects the Ventral Tegmental Area with Nuclueus Accubens found in the ventral stratium. a.)The Ventral Tegmental Area is the primary areas that is associated with the production of dopamine in the brain while b.) the Nucleus Accubens is the brain area associated with motivation and reward. "Dopamine" is the neurotransmitter that is involved in this process of reward network. Release of Dopamine in the brain in large amounts than required creates a feeling of pleasure. This indirectly motivates the individual to repeat the behaviour that caused the feeling of pleasure to arise.

2.Human race has learnt to suvive over a period of thousands of years, based on the way their brain responds to the rewards in the environment. An example of the mechanism of reward network would be, how Cave-men discovered fire and were able to scare away the animals. The fire also helped them to cook their food before eating which was rewarding for them. When they were able to have better food it released dopamine in their brain causing pleasure. Hence the reward of good food and safety from animals is their reward ( reason for dopamine release) for discovering the elements of nature (fire). This has led human race to discover various other elements in the nature and put them to use for their betterment over and over again. Hence also trying to seek the the pleasure and desirable environmental situation again and again.

3.The mechanism is however misappropriated when it comes to addiction of certain substances and behaviours. When an individual gets a reward in the form of pleasure, achievement or a desirable environmental situation/ condition, they tend to repeat the addictive behaviour or usage of addictive substance as a result of excessive dopamine release. The connections in the neural pathways gets strengthened due to repetition in this process, where the individual consumes the substance( alcohol)and gets the pleasure of being stimulated. A similar situation occurs when an individual tends to engage in behaviour like gambling and wins some amount of money which gives him a temporary satisfaction of being a winner or getting rich as it tends to release dopamine in the brain( feeling of pleasure). This reward leads to repetition in the gambling behaviour even when he is losing ( in hope that he will win the next time). Therefore the individual becomes addicted to gambling behaviour.

4.The gambling behaviour is caused due to this particular mechanism of reward network. An example of substance addiction wud be Cocaine dependency where an individual is addicted to the substance for the stimulation effect that the cocaine causes,while ignoring the harmful effects and threats it creates in an individual's body. Each time the individual uses Cocaine they experience the pleasure due to the excessive dopamine release in the brain. therefore he increases the amount of cocaine usage each time for seeking more pleasure. As the individual repeats the usage of cocaine, the neural pathways in their brain gets strengthened for consuming cocaine and without realizing they develop cocaine dependency where staying away from the substance becomes difficult. Now the individual gets used to consuming substance everyday or many times in a single day without realizing that it he is addicted to the substance.