The motivation for natural rewards such as food, sex and exercise, and also of drugs such as nicotine, relies on neurons in the brain’s reward system, based in a brain region called the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Obtaining a reward leads to excitation of these neurons and the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which acts on other neurons to trigger positive emotions.  Dopamine transmission … Continue reading Molecular ‘switch’ reduces nicotine’s effect on the brain in animal model.