Mesolimbic Pathway - Clinical Significance

Clinical Significance

Since the mesolimbic pathway is shown to be associated with feelings of reward and desire, this pathway is heavily implicated in neurobiological theories of addiction, schizophrenia, and depression. Drug addiction, the loss of control over drug use or the compulsive seeking and taking of drugs despite adverse consequences, with the four major classes of abused drugs (psychostimulants, opiates, ethanol, and nicotine) are due to increased dopamine transmission in the limbic system-each by different mechanisms. Like drug addiction, schizophrenia and depression have similar structural changes with dopamine transmission.