Physiology and

Neurobiology of
Brain
Withdrawal syndrome
 Frontal Cortex Corpus Callosum
Planning, Strategizing, Logic, Connects Hemispheres
Judgment
Creativity and Problem
Solving

Cerebellum
Coordinates muscles/ movement
and thinking processes

Thalamus
Nucleus
accumbens Ventral
tegmental
area Locus
Extended Amygdala coeruleus
Emotional responses: fear
and anger Hippocampus
Forms Memories
Coordinates thinking processes
Dopamine Pathways: Reward, Pleasure, Euphoria,
Motor Function, Decision making

Prefrontal cortex

Hippocampus

Nucleus
accumbens
Ventral
tegmental
area

Raphe
Serotonin Pathways: Mood, Memory, Sleep, Cognition
 Dopamine is released in the NAc following electrical stimulation

Serotonin is manufactured in the brain and the intestines. The

majority of the body's serotonin, between 80-90%, can be found in
the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It can also be found in the blood
platelets and the central nervous system (CNS)

Neurons in the LC produce a chemical, noradrenaline (NA), and

distribute it to other parts of the brain where it stimulates
wakefulness, breathing, blood pressure, and general alertness,
among other functions

NAc causes feelings of pleasure from dopamine that released by

VTA
 Reward Pathway

There is a axonal network in the brain labeled the

reward pathway
This reward pathway is activated by:
Food, water and sex, activities (such as sky diving,
paragliding etc) and exercise

This reward pathway is also activated by drugs

and alcohol
 Reward Pathway
Neurotransmitters and anatomical sites involved in the acute
reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse
Dopamine Opioid Peptides

Ventral tegmental area, Nucleus accumbens,

nucleus accumbens amygdala, ventral
tegmental area

GABA Glutamate
Amygdala, bed nucleus Nucleus accumbens
of stria terminalis
 Reward Pathway: Brain
Areas

Prefrontal Cortex
Nucleus
Ventral
Accumbens
Tegmental
(NAc)
Area (VTA)
Locus Coeruleus
 Withdrawal: Brain Areas

Ventral
Frontal Cortex
Thalamus Tegmental
Area (VTA)
Amygdala

Locus Coeruleus
The thalamus is activated when drugs of
abuse are abruptly ceased LC has projections to
frontal cortex, limbic
cortex, and amygdala