The<unk>  regulates incentive salience, motivation, reinforcement learning, and fear, among other cognitive processes. The<unk>  is involved in motivational cognition. Depletion of dopamine in this<unk> , or lesions at its site of origin, decrease the extent to which an animal is willing to go to obtain a reward (e.g. the number of lever presses for intravenous nicotine delivery in rats or time spent searching for food). Dopaminergic drugs are also able to increase the extent an animal is willing to go to obtain a reward. Moreover, the firing rate of neurons in the<unk>  increases during anticipation of reward, which may explain craving.<unk>  dopamine release was once thought to be the primary mediator of pleasure, but is now believed to have only a minor or secondary role in pleasure perception.
Mesolimbic pathway
Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Amygdalofugal pathway
Mesocortical pathway
Hypothalamotegmental tract
Limbic system
Endocannabinoid system
Ciliospinal center