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. 2022 Aug 5;16:932546. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.932546

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Copyright © 2022 Rysztak and Jutkiewicz.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Brain regions and pathways implicated in enkephalin-mediated reward-related behaviors. Dopamine neurons in the VTA that project to the NAc are modified by MORs on GABAergic interneurons. Activation of MORs and DORs, likely by enkephalins, within the NAc modulate dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and acetylcholine release. D2 MSNs express enkephalin and project to the VP and are believed to be a crucial circuit for reinstatement behaviors. Figure created using Biorender.com. NAc, nucleus accumbens; GP, globus pallidus; VP, ventral pallidum; VTA, ventral tegmental area; MOR, mu opioid receptor; DOR, delta opioid receptor; MSNs, medium spiny neurons.