Where is the addiction pathway in the brain?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, I will evaluate each proposed pathway and connect it to what is known about addiction circuits.
Option 1: 'from the hindbrain to the midbrain' — This description stops short of the limbic system and prefrontal areas, which are central to addictive processes. The hindbrain is more involved in basic autonomic control, while addiction research focuses on circuits that include the midbrain and limbic/prefrontal regions, so this option is not accurate.
Option 2: 'from the midbrain to the limbic system to the frontal cortex' — This aligns with the classical mesolimbic–mesocortical pathway implicated in addiction: dopaminergic projections originate in the midbrain (notably the ventral tegmental area), project to limbic structures (including the nucleus accumbens), and extend to the prefrontal/frontal cortex, mediating reward, craving, and decision-making processes. This option captures the key sequence of regions involved.
Option 3: 'from the brain stem to the limbic system' — While the brain stem is connected to dopaminergic and other neurotransmitter systems, addiction pathways are not typically characterized as starting in the brain stem with a primary projection to the limbic system; the critical stretch to the frontal cortex is missing, making this option incomplete.
Option 4: 'from the hypothalamus to the parietal lobe' — The hypothalamus and parietal lobe are not the core trajectory described for addictive reinforcement and reward processing. This pathway misidentifies the main regions implicated in the addiction circuitry, so it is incorrect.
Overall, the option that best reflects the established sequence of brain regions in the addiction pathway is the midbrain–limbic system–frontal cortex route, since it captures the essential flow from mesolimbic structures to cognitive control areas.

W25 PSYC D024 01Z Intro Psychobiology Week 5 Quiz (covers Ch. 4)

Where is the addiction pathway in the brain?

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