Reward circuit governs sex and bonding

• Stimulation of dopamine receptors in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of male rats induces penile erection and increases extra-cellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens: Involvement of central oxytocin (stimulation of dopamine receptors in the paraventricular nucleus induces the release of oxytocin in brain areas that influence the activity of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons mediating the appetitive and reinforcing effects of sexual activity)
• Regulation by the medial amygdala of copulation and medial preoptic dopamine release (dopaminergic system (within reward center) is a key element of the control of sexual function)
• Dopamine and male sexual function (dopaminergic system is a key element of the control of sexual function)
• Cellular mechanisms of social attachment (reward center key for pair bonding- contains oxytocin and vasopressin receptors)
• Reward Mechanism Involved in Addiction Likely Regulates Pair Bonds Between Monogamous Animals (press release about elements of addiction in bonding)

Dopamine is a "wanting" not a "liking"

• Hyperdopaminergic mutant mice have higher "wanting" but not "liking" for sweet rewards [higher dopamine levels lead to more wanting (desire) but not to more liking (pleasure)]
• Opioid Limbic Circuit for Reward: Interaction between Hedonic Hotspots of Nucleus Accumbens and Ventral Pallidum ["liking" and "wanting" functions are different in brain]
• Dynamic increases in dopamine during paced copulation in the female rat (dopamine more related to anticipation than to consummation)
• What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience? (dopamine required for motivation but not for "liking" something)
• Positive reinforcement produced by electrical stimulation of septal area and other regions of rat brain (citation to original experiment that revealed the reward center of the brain)
• Predictive reward signal of dopamine neurons (dopamine neurons are activated by rewarding events that are better than predicted, remain uninfluenced by events that are as good as predicted, and are depressed by events that are worse than predicted)
• Reward without dopamine (dopamine not required for reward; something else can give us reward)

Natural Reinforcer (sweetiness) Surpasses Cocaine Reward

• Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward (intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals)

Oxytocin

• Oxytocin injected into the ventral tegmental area induces penile erection and increases extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of male rats (Oxytocin injected into reward circuitry of brain increases dopamine)

PT-141

• PT-141: A Melanocortin Agonist for the Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction

More Research

• Evolution, mating and bonding
• Post-coital hangover
• Potential health benefits
• Potential health risks
• Return to detailed outline of all research

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