Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day focuses on neurotransmitter activity and how it relates to substance use disorders with a student nurse. Can you figure it out?
The nurse preceptor in the psychiatric emergency department is discussing neurotransmitter activity and how it relates to substance use disorders with a student nurse. Which is the primary neurotransmitter in the reward center of the brain?
A. SerotoninB. Dopamine
C. AcetylcholineD. Norepinephrine
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today’s NCLEX-RN® Question is…
B. Dopamine
Rationale: Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter in the reward center. When a person experiences pleasure, a surge of dopamine is released from the nucleus accumbens, which is a cluster of nerves near the hypothalamus, more commonly known as the brain’s reward center.
Major Takeaway
Inside the brain are small molecules called neurotransmitters that are produced and used by neurons to communicate with each other. This communication happens when one neuron releases a neurotransmitter which then binds to the receptors of another neuron causing the neuron to react.
Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in the reward center of the brain. When a person experiences pleasure, a surge of dopamine is released from the nucleus accumbens, which is a cluster of nerves near the hypothalamus, more commonly known as the brain’s reward center.
Incorrect answer explanations
A. Serotonin
Rationale: Serotonin is not the primary neurotransmitter involved in the reward center of the brain. This neurotransmitter has several functions, including regulation of mood, sleep, and appetite.
C. Acetylcholine
Rationale: Acetylcholine is not the primary neurotransmitter involved in the reward center of the brain. Acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system.
D. Norepinephrine
Rationale: Norepinephrine is not the primary neurotransmitter involved in the reward center of the brain. Norepinephrine is the neurotransmitter responsible for the “fight or flight” response.
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