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 highway1.
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.
External links
Notes
- ^ The Owner's Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research, 3rd ed. 2006. Austin: Bard Press. ISBN 1885167644
