Medial forebrain bundle

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Brain: Medial forebrain bundle
Latin	fasciculus medialis telencephali
NeuroNames	hier-416
MeSH	Medial+Forebrain+Bundle
Dorlands/Elsevier	f_03/12356134

The Medial forebrain bundle (MFB), is a complex bundle of axons coming from the basal olfactory regions, the periamygdaloid region, and the septal nuclei, and passing to the lateral hypothalamus, with some carrying on into the tegmentum. It contains both ascending and descending fibers. It also represents a part of the mesolimbic pathway, carrying information between the ventral tegmentum and the nucleus accumbens. It is commonly accepted that the MFB is a part of the reward system, involved in the integration of reward and pleasure.

Electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle is believed to cause sensations of pleasure. This hypothesis is based upon intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) studies. Animals will work for MFB ICSS, and humans report that MFB ICSS is intensely pleasurable. This is most likely because the medial forebrain bundle carries information ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (nAcc or Acb). The nAcc is a recognized reward center, and activation of the pathway from the VTA to the nAcc is believed to be rewarding, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the hedonic highway^[1].

[edit] Cultural references

• (2001) Bernard Werber - "L'ultime Secret" (The Ultimate Secret): Keystone of murder investigation in this book is the search for "the ultimate secret" in the name of which Fincher, apparently died of orgasmic pleasure in the arms of his mistress, was assassinated. What confirms soon the murder of the doctor-legist having taken Fincher's medial forebrain bundle during the autopsy.

[edit] External links

• Overview at thebrain.mcgill.ca

[edit] Notes

1. ^ The Owner's Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research, 3rd ed. 2006. Austin: Bard Press. ISBN 1885167644

v • d • e Brain: diencephalon Epithalamus Pineal body • Habenula (Habenular nuclei) • Stria medullaris • Habenular trigone • Habenular commissure Thalamus/nuclei paired: AN • Ventral (VA/VL, VP/VPM/VPL) • Lateral (Pulvinar) • Metathalamus (MG, LG) midline: MD • Intralaminar (Centromedian) • Midline nuclear group • Interthalamic adhesion • Medullary laminae surface: reticular tracts to thalamus: Mammillothalamic tract • Thalamic fasciculus • Lenticular fasciculus • Ansa lenticularis • Medial lemniscus • Trigeminal lemniscus • Spinothalamic tract • Lateral lemniscus Hypothalamus autonomic zones: Anterior (parasympathetic/heat loss) • Posterior (sympathetic/heat conservation) endocrine - posterior pituitary: magnocellular/Paraventricular/Supraoptic (oxytocin/vasopressin) endocrine - other: parvocellular/Arcuate (dopamine/GHRH) • Preoptic (GnRH) • Suprachiasmatic (melatonin) emotion: Lateral (hunger) • Ventromedial (satiety) • Dorsomedial (rage) surface: Median eminence/Tuber cinereum • Mammillary body • Infundibulum tracts: Medial forebrain bundle Pituitary: (Posterior is diencephalon, but anterior is glandular) Subthalamus Subthalamic nucleus • Zona incerta