Motivation and emotion/Tutorials/Needs/Brain

Motivational & emotional states associated with brain structure: Sub-cortical

Brain structure	Location	Associated motivational or emotional experience
Amygdala		Detects, learns about, and responds to the stimulus properties of environmental objects, including both threat- and reward-eliciting associations.
Basal ganglia		A group of subcortical nuclei including the caudate nucleus, putamen, substantia nigra, and globus pallidus. Regulates premotor and motor cortical areas so that voluntary movement can be performed smoothly. Serves as a behavioural inhibitor or "off-switch". Influenced by signals from many parts of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex.
Hypothalamus		Responsive to natural rewards in the regulation of eating, drinking, and mating. Regulates the endocrine and autonomic nervous system.
Nucleus accumbens		Brain's reward centre. Responds to signals of reward via dopamine release from within the ventral striatum to produce feelings of pleasure and liking.
Reticular Formation		Phylogenetically old structure which regulates arousal, alertness, and sleep/wakefulness.
Ventral striatum		Part of the dopamine-based reward system. Manufactures and releases dopamine to the nucleus accumbens, having received the message to do so from the ventral tegmental area.
Ventral tegmental area		Starting point in brain's dopamine-based reward centre. Manufactures and releases dopamine.

Brain structure	Location	Associated motivational or emotional experience'
Anterior Cingulate Cortex		Monitors motivational conflicts. Resolves conflicts by recruiting other cortical brain structures for executive or cognitive control over basic urges and emotions.
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex		Evaluates the learned emotional value of environmental events and possible courses of action. Responsible for control over urges and risks during the pursuit of long-term goals.
Insula cortex		Monitors bodily states to produce gut-felt feelings. Processes feelings associated with empathy, intrinsic motivation, risk, uncertainty, pain, and personal agency.
Orbitofrontal cortex		Stores and processes reward-related value of events and environmental objects and events to formulate preferences and make choices between options.
Prefrontal cortex		Making plans, setting goals, formulating intentions. Right hemispheric activity is associated with negative affect and "no go" avoidance. Left hemispheric activity is associated with positive affect and "go" approach motivation.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex		Evaluates the unlearned emotional value of basic sensory rewards and internal bodily states. Responsible for emotional control.