What Is the Basic Neurochemistry Behind Motivation?
Question by Philosophizing teenager: What is the basic neurochemistry behind motivation?
Best answer:
Answer by toxdoc333
Unknown as it would difficult to study so many components of human (or animal) behavior to answer such a question. However, it certainly must involve a connection to the medial forebrain bundle and the dopaminergic pathways. These reward systems in the brain are powerful in producing the “that felt good sensation” and research from different fields have identified the dopamine reward system as involved in drug addiction, gambling (“addiction”), and learning. I do not think most people can be motivated if they don’t find the behavior to attain a goal or the goal itself rewarding. Loss of brain dopamine activity (present to some degree after long term cocaine use) leads to apathy and lack of motivation or reward (things you used to like are no longer pleasurable – we suspect because dopamine activity is down regulated). Best I can suggest as a scientifically based answer to an interesting question.
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Vaccine for Cocaine Addiction Discovered! – Me in class giving a presentation. See this site for more information about the discovery I’m trying to describe: cornellsun.com
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