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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.
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The Center for Nutritional Psychology
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The Center for Nutritional Psychology. (2025). Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). In Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/nucleus-accumbens-nac/
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