Running is rewarding and antidepressive.
Natural behaviors such as eating, drinking, reproduction and exercise activate brain reward pathways and consequently the individual engages in these behaviors to receive the reward. However, drugs of abuse are even more potent in activating the reward pathways. Rewarding behaviors and addictive drugs also affect other parts of the brain not directly involved in the mediation of reward. For instance, running increases neurogenesis in hippocampus and is beneficial as an antidepressant in a genetic animal model of depression and in depressed humans. Here we discuss and compare neurochemical and functional changes in the brain after addictive drugs and exercise with a focus on brain reward pathways and hippocampus.
Brené
Stefan
S
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. stefan.brene@ki.se
Bjørnebekk
Astrid
A
Aberg
Elin
E
Mathé
Aleksander A
AA
Olson
Lars
L
Werme
Martin
M
D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012201:Reward; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*