Emerging, reemerging, and forgotten brain areas of the reward circuit: Notes from the 2010 Motivational Neural Networks conference

On April 24–27, 2010, the Motivational Neuronal Networks meeting took place in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. The conference was devoted to “Emerging, re-emerging, and forgotten brain areas” of the reward circuit. A central feature of the conference was four scholarly discussions of cutting-edge topics related to the conference's theme. These discussions form the basis of the present review, which summarizes areas of consensus and controversy, and serves as a roadmap for the next several years of research.

► The 2010 Motivational Neuronal Networks conference took place on April 24–27.
► Discussions focused on understudied brain regions involved in reward and motivation.
► Topics included subthalamic nucleus, subiculum, lateral habenula, and several others.
► These discussions are summarized in this review.