The Paths to Pleasure

We all know what it feels like: the delight in a mouthful of chocolate, the afterglow of a good workout. A look at two systems in the brain that, with the right natural or artificial stimulus, conjure

By Kristina Dell Sunday, Jan. 09, 2005

    • The Natural High Two key brain chemicals regulate how happy the body feels. Dopamine, which is released in the nucleus accumbens and the frontal cortex, bathes neurons involved in memory and emotion, rewarding activities like eating and sex with pleasurable feelings. Endorphins, which are chemically similar to morphine, promote pleasure by dampening pain and producing a high

    DOPAMINE Once released, it floods the synaptic gap between nerve endings and binds to receptors on adjacent cells. With more dopamine, more neurons involved in memory and emotion are activated, reinforcing feelings of joy

    OPIOIDS/ENDORPHINS Physical stress, such as a long run, stimulates pain signals. In response, neurons release opioids, such as endorphins, preventing the signals from reaching nearby cells and producing pleasure elsewhere in the brain

    The Artificial Buzz Drugs can alter the brain???s normal reward circuit, making it harder to feel pleasure without help

    NARCOTICS mimic opioids by binding to the same receptors, numbing pain and producing a feeling of euphoria

    COCAINE triggers the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens to produce a very powerful high

    ALCOHOL AND NICOTINE affect both endorphin and dopamine circuits in more roundabout ways

    ADDICTION Because drugs co-opt the body???s natural high by triggering dopamine, repeated exposure can fool the brain into craving those drugs more than food and sex

    Source: Dr. Eric Nestler, UT Southwestern

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