“The researchers also analyzed the Oreos’ effect on the rats’ brains by looking at the number of neurons in the nucleus accumbens – the brain’s “pleasure center” – that were activated while eating…the rats eating Oreos experienced more pleasure than the animals being injected with drugs.”
— “Oreos as ‘addictive’ as cocaine in lab rat study,” CNN, 16 October 2013
“Results showed that participants who received positive feedback about themselves produced stronger activation of the nucleus accumbens than when they saw the positive feedback that another person received. The strength of this difference corresponded to participants’ reported intensity of Facebook use.”
— “Facebook Use Linked to Brain’s Reward Center,” MedicineNet, 29 August 2013