Our brain has adapted as the human being evolved. The end for survival has caused the human brain to develop mechanisms that, although a priori may be easy to understand, are actually quite complex. This is the case of the brain’s reward system, of which we now explain what it consists of and how it is activated.
How does the brain’s reward system work and how is it activated?
The brain’s reward system is one of the many curious and complicated aspects of our brain. It is a mechanism that leads us to connect certain situations with pleasure . Actually, a form of adaptation, as well as a strategy, that our brain developed to ensure our survival.
This is because by associating a pleasant sensation with a gesture, we promote learning . The reward system, for example, gives the sexual act the kind of pleasure that makes us want to repeat it. In this way the survival of the species is ensured.
Several areas of the brain are involved in this circuit, which makes the study of this system complex and its operation multifactorial. In addition, the reward system is not activated only with the most basic gestures , such as feeding or having sex. It is deeply ingrained in our life. It intervenes, for example, in addictions or in other rewarding activities such as sports. Its importance is such that it is worth knowing more about the aspects that regulate it.
What structures are involved in the reward system?
The seat of the reward system is the brain. In fact, it is not in an exact area of the brain . As with most of our functions, this is also distributed in different areas connected between gold to form a kind of network.
It is a complex system: the brain is a difficult organ to understand and study. The areas that have been shown to play a role within the reward system are:
- Tegmental area.
- Nucleus accumbens, one of the nuclei of the basal ganglia.
- Hypothalamus and hippocampus.
- Amygdala.
- Cerebral prefrontal cortex.
- Pale balloon.
- Pituitary gland.
Ultimately, the reward system resides in a circuit called the mesolimbic pathway . The substance that activates the system is dopamine.
In what situations is the reward system activated?
As we anticipate, this is an adaptive function. Therefore, it is mainly related to those primary needs that allow us to survive as individuals and as a species.
This means that, in the first place, they preside over aspects such as eating, drinking, having sex . The taste of food produces pleasure, like a glass of cold water or making love. In this way, learning and repetition of these gestures is stimulated.
However, they are not the only functions that we repeat following the response of this system. We also take pleasure in games , sports and, of course, drugs . Numerous studies have shown that this circuit is activated when it comes into contact with cocaine, to name one among many.
This inevitably leads us to consider the risks inherent in the reward system. Dependencies are the other side of the coin of our wonderful adaptation mechanism.
