Neurotransmitters and Brain Reward - Serotonin

Even though increased dopamine in the brain reward system is generally thought to be the final common pathway for the reinforcing properties of drugs, other neurotransmitters such as serotonin are involved in the modulation of both drug self-administration and dopamine levels. Serotonin may be important in modulating motivational factors, or the amount of work and individual is willing to perform to obtain a drug (1). Serotonergic neurons project both to the NA and VTA and appear to regulate dopamine release at the NA.  However the relationship between serotonin and dopamine release is complex in that, serotonin has numerous receptor types and its regulation of dopamine release is at times inhibitory and at other times excitatory (1,2).  Thus, serotonin modulates the reward pathway through various mechanisms by interacting with different receptors throughout the brain.

Reference: http://ibgwww.colorado.edu/cadd/a_drug/essays/essay4.htm 

Read More:Reward system - Neuroanatomy and Physiology of the “Brain Reward System” | Reward system - The Structures of the Reward Pathway | Reward system - Electrical Stimulation of the Brain Reward Pathway | Reward system - Molecular Physiology of the Reward Pathway | Serotonin - Neurotransmitters and Brain Reward | Reward system - GABA | Reward system - Endorphin Binding at the Synapse

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