The pharmacology of catecholamine involvement in the neural mechanisms of reward.
The neurophysiological basis of motivation became a major research goal with the discovery of brain self-stimulation. Correlative anatomical and neurochemical mapping of self-stimulation sites led to the catecholamine theory of self-stimulation. The present review summarizes the pharmacological evidence pertinent to this theory and formulates conclusions on the functional role of catecholamine systems in behavior reinforced by electrical brain-stimulation.
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000166:cytology*; D004285:Dogs; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D004298:Dopamine