Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is the main component of the ventral striatum, a brain region involved in processing motivation, reward, and emotions. It plays a central role in reward-related behaviors—including motivation, reinforcement, and pleasure, by releasing dopamine in response to rewarding stimuli such as food, social interaction, or drugs. As a key structure of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, the NAc is often called the “pleasure center” of the brain.