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The striatum is a brain region divided into dorsal (caudate nucleus and putamen) and ventral (including the nucleus accumbens) sections. It plays key roles in motor control, reward processing, reinforcement learning, and habit formation. In the context of eating behavior, the striatum contributes to the rewarding and motivational aspects of food: the ventral striatum processes the pleasure and reward derived from eating, reinforcing food-seeking behaviors, while the dorsal striatum is involved in the development of habitual eating patterns and routines.
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Ephi Lu. (2025). Striatum. In Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
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