A Neural Pathway to Reward? (IMAGE)
Caption
New brain circuitry has been identified that links a brain area involved in representing environments or context (hippocampus) with an area that processes reward (VTA). This is important, for example, because environments (e.g., places) where addicts previously sought or obtained drugs can cause them to crave drugs again and lead them to relapse. This circuit provides a target to manipulate to help break the addiction cycle. This image relates to an article that appeared in the July 15, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by A.H. Luo of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health in Baltimore, Md., and colleagues was titled, "Linking Context with Reward: A Functional Circuit from Hippocampal CA3 to Ventral Tegmental Area."
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Image courtesy of Emma Vought
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