How Nicotine Impacts Your Brain & Enhances Focus | Dr. Andrew Huberman

And that will point to avenues as to how to quit or reduce intake . And it also points to how nicotine can actually be used in an antidepressant way should you choose ? And we will talk about what the various criteria are for choosing that , but just understand nicotine increases motivation , it decreases negative feelings of mood , it increases positive feelings of mood and motivation .

How Nicotine Impacts Your Brain & Enhances Focus | Dr. Andrew Huberman

And it also points to how nicotine can actually be used in an antidepressant way should you choose ? And we will talk about what the various criteria are for choosing that , but just understand nicotine increases motivation , it decreases negative feelings of mood , it increases positive feelings of mood and motivation .

How Nicotine Impacts Your Brain & Enhances Focus | Dr. Andrew Huberman

Now , here's what's very important nicotine triggers the release of dopamine from the nucleus accumbens . This is what gives nicotine , it's rewarding properties , it increases motivation , it tends to give a not so subtle but very transient increase in feelings of well being and alertness and motivation . And that's because of the increase in dopamine caused by nicotine directly within the nucleus .

How Nicotine Impacts Your Brain & Enhances Focus | Dr. Andrew Huberman

Accumbens . Nicotine also triggers the release of certain neurochemicals from the ventral tegmental area itself . And those impinge on nucleus a commons and increase dopamine levels further .

How Nicotine Impacts Your Brain & Enhances Focus | Dr. Andrew Huberman

Gabba is an inhibitory neurotransmitter . You don't need to know too much about it to just understand that nicotine both increases dopamine but also decreases the activity of Gaba . And so this is like pushing on the accelerator for dopamine , but also removing the brake .