Preferred Label : medial forebrain bundle;
Uberon definition : The Medial forebrain bundle (MFB), is a complex bundle of axons coming from the basal
olfactory regions, the periamygdaloid region, and the septal nuclei, and passing to
the lateral hypothalamus, with some carrying on into the tegmentum. It contains both
ascending and descending fibers. It also represents a part of the mesolimbic pathway,
carrying information between the ventral tegmentum and the nucleus accumbens. It is
commonly accepted that the MFB is a part of the reward system, involved in the integration
of reward and pleasure. Electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle is believed
to cause sensations of pleasure. This hypothesis is based upon intracranial self-stimulation
(ICSS) studies. Animals will work for MFB ICSS, and humans report that MFB ICSS is
intensely pleasurable. This is most likely because the medial forebrain bundle carries
information from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (nAcc or
Acb). The nAcc is a recognized reward center, and activation of the pathway from the
VTA to the nAcc is believed to be rewarding, which is why it is sometimes referred
to as the hedonic highway. [WP,unvetted].;
Uberon synonym : medial forebrain fasciculus; telencephalic medial fasciculus;
Uberon related term : median forebrain bundle; medial forebrain bundles;
Uberon broad term : MFB;
Origin ID : 0001910;
UMLS CUI : C0025055;
Automatic exact mappings (from CISMeF team)
- Semantic type(s)
- UMLS correspondences (same concept)
- Uberon cross reference
- has part
- part of
The Medial forebrain bundle (MFB), is a complex bundle of axons coming from the basal
olfactory regions, the periamygdaloid region, and the septal nuclei, and passing to
the lateral hypothalamus, with some carrying on into the tegmentum. It contains both
ascending and descending fibers. It also represents a part of the mesolimbic pathway,
carrying information between the ventral tegmentum and the nucleus accumbens. It is
commonly accepted that the MFB is a part of the reward system, involved in the integration
of reward and pleasure. Electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle is believed
to cause sensations of pleasure. This hypothesis is based upon intracranial self-stimulation
(ICSS) studies. Animals will work for MFB ICSS, and humans report that MFB ICSS is
intensely pleasurable. This is most likely because the medial forebrain bundle carries
information from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (nAcc or
Acb). The nAcc is a recognized reward center, and activation of the pathway from the
VTA to the nAcc is believed to be rewarding, which is why it is sometimes referred
to as the hedonic highway. [WP,unvetted].
