<P> The mesolimbic pathway, sometimes referred to as the reward pathway, is a dopaminergic pathway in the brain . The pathway connects the ventral tegmental area, which is located in the midbrain, to the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle, which are located in the ventral striatum . The release of dopamine from the mesolimbic pathway into the nucleus accumbens regulates incentive salience (i.e., motivation and desire) for rewarding stimuli and facilitates reinforcement and reward - related motor function learning; it may also play a role in the subjective perception of pleasure . The dysregulation of the mesolimbic pathway and its output neurons in the nucleus accumbens plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of an addiction . </P> <P> The mesolimbic pathway is a collection of dopaminergic (i.e., dopamine - releasing) neurons that project from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the ventral striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and olfactory tubercle . It is one of the component pathways of the medial forebrain bundle, which is a set of neural pathways that mediate brain stimulation reward . </P>

Where is the reward pathway located in the brain