And I think not just all scientists , but all human beings should know that within their brain , they have what is called the mesolimbic reward pathway . The mesolimbic reward pathway . If you just want to call it , the dopamine reward pathway is as the name suggests , a set of connections between a brain area called the ventral tegmental area , you don't have to remember the names of these things , of course .
So there's a two pronged effect of nicotine on reinforcement reward , dopamine related pathways , the feel good motivation pathways and that is an increase in dopamine and a decrease in Gaba . And again , that's all mediated through this mesolimbic reward pathway involving the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens . So if you can conceptualize even just 5% of what I just told you or even if you can just remember , nicotine increases dopamine and that's why it feels so good .
This is one that was brought up in the episode on dopamine , motivation and drive . And I think not just all scientists , but all human beings should know that within their brain , they have what is called the mesolimbic reward pathway . The mesolimbic reward pathway .
It's also why nicotine is so hard to quit because there's a potent increase in dopamine from multiple neural circuit pathways within this mesolimbic reward circuitry . Now , within the mesolimbic reward circuitry , there's an interesting feature , there are accelerators that essentially push out more dopamine , get more dopamine released and there are breaks of the so called Gaba ergic variety . Gabba is an inhibitory neurotransmitter .
The mesolimbic reward pathway . If you just want to call it , the dopamine reward pathway is as the name suggests , a set of connections between a brain area called the ventral tegmental area , you don't have to remember the names of these things , of course . But if you want to , that's fine too , the ventral tegmental area or VT A connects to another area called the nucleus accumbens .
