Mesolimbic pathway

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by alternating episodes of major depression and mania. Episodes of mania are characterized by a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood and increased goal-oriented activity lasting at least one week. Diagnostic criteria for BD have shown two subsets of BD (BD I and BD II), which are differentiated by the severity of the manic episodes. BD I is characterized by traditional manic episodes while

By using time series data from the fMRI scans and combining it with anatomical data about the region in various correlative algorithms, we were able to construct ROI masks of two structures that are central components of the mesolimbic pathway (also known as the reward pathway): the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). These region masks had a higher low (< < 0.03) and had a lower standard deviation in mean signaling across 12 scans compared to typical anatomically derived functional

Scientifically, addiction can be defined as an adaptation in specific structures that together render the state of addiction. More than 5% of the population is affected by addiction and it costs almost 3% of the domestic gaining to treat and support patients. Moreover, current therapies are not sufficient for preventing the patients from relapsing (Collins et al., 2011). The focus is on identifying how these adaptations evolve and affect the individual over time and link them to the specific behaviours

The current generation of children is completely different than the preceding ones. They are living in the digital age. “Technology has blended in with daily activity to become a way of life and children today take for granted all of which is automated. It is hard for kids nowadays to imagine a world that existed without all of the gadgets, electronics and seamless operations that computer technology provides.” (3) “Children in the United States devote some 40 hours a week to television, video games

Behavioral Addictions: Exploring Internet Addiction Kristi Jo Slavens School of Professional Counseling Lindsey Wilson College Author Note Kristi Jo Slavens, The School of Professional Counseling, Lindsey Wilson College. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kristi Jo Slavens, 617 Eastern Avenue, Washington C.H., Ohio, 43160. Email: kristi.slavens@lindsey.edu. Abstract Karl Marx believed that technology was the driving force of society. Whether one agrees with

1. The Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway Composed of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), the mesolimbic dopamine system is the most important reward pathway in the brain. It is a key detector of a rewarding stimulus and when operating under normal conditions it controls the responses to natural rewards, such as, sex, food, and social interactions. Making this pathway important in element in an individual’s motivation and incentive drive. When this pathway is activated, it tells

The first article, The rewards of music listening: Response and physiological connectivity of the mesolimbic system, discussed the neurological and neurochemical responses to listening to pleasant and unpleasant music. The experiment was composed of thirteen right-handed individuals, six males and seven females, between the ages of 19 and 23, none of which has any specialized musical training. Each participant was played 20-25 second clips of classical music and scrambled classical music. To scramble

Social Media Essay As the years go by, the amount of users on social media is continuously increasing. People often think about the positive attributes that technology has brought us, however there are many negatives as well. As a result of excessively indulging in social media, adolescents face numerous problems in developing their brain. Although this problem is often ignored, it is very important for the public to be informed about the dangers of social media on their health. Due to an immoderate

argue that the drug addict is in much needed immediate help. According to our societal acceptances, obesity is welcomed as opposed to drug use behaviors. Therefore in this paper, I will focus my discussion on the comparison of the dopamine reward pathway amongst obese individuals and drug addicts, as well as the controversial arguments whether or not obesity should be considered a disease. Obesity and drug use both have risk factors that could lead to fatal consequences. According to a study by

The Inverse Power of Praise: Should We Praise Our Children? Giving praise to our children comes naturally; most of us have done it hundreds of times without even thinking about it. The phrases: “you’re so smart” or, “wow you did a great job” just roll off our tongue. After all who doesn’t like to receive recognition for a job well done? But by praising children, are we setting them up for failure? Telling our kids they are smart does not keep them from underperforming, but instead might be causing