pleasure center
Brain's joy circuit
A pleasure center is a region of the brain associated with reward and pleasurable sensations, particularly areas in the limbic system that respond to stimuli like food, sex, or drugs.
The term comes from mid-20th-century experiments where animals would repeatedly stimulate certain brain regions.
More loosely, any place devoted to enjoyment: The resort was a pleasure center for the wealthy.
- happinessJoyful emotional state
- gratificationPleasure from satisfying desires
- instant gratificationSatisfaction without delay
- brainSeat of cognition
- rewardPayment for service
anhedonia · dopamine · pleasures of the flesh · psychology · erogenous zone · reward system · endorphins · striatum · limbic system · addiction · emotional connection · thrill seeking · sexual attraction · reinforcement learning · satisfaction · neurotransmitter · behavioral conditioning · ecstasy
- basal gangliastriatum, caudate, matrix
- addictionaddiction, drug addiction, substance abuse, drug dependence, substance dependency
- Hypothalamusmammillary bodies, thermoregulation, homeostasis, appetite control, circadian rhythm
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