The magazine of the european research area European Commission Copenhagen, a missed chance?

NEUROSCIENCE

Food, sex and social life 

“O

ur basic pleasures are 

caused by feelings inti-

mately related to food, sex 

and social interaction. On 

a neural level, such sensations are first detected 

by sensory receptors located throughout the 

body. These are then decoded in the sensory 

regions of the brain”, says psychiatrist Morten 

Kringelbach  (

1

). And contrary to what one 

might imagine, pleasure is not just a mere stim-

ulation of such receptors, but the result of inter-

actions between anticipation, evaluation and 

stored away sensations. Pleasure can therefore 

be seen as a sweet mix of desire, pleasant sen-

sations and learning.

“Several studies conducted on humans 

and animals have pinpointed the brain regions 

crucial for this mix. Some are buried deep 

in the brain, such as the nucleus accumbens 

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 Hedonia 

© Isak Hoffmey

er