Idea of the "pleasure center" ascending to the works of Olds (1954) although criticised is still important for the contemporary science. Gray's and Cloninger's Inventories are based on it assuming BAS (behavioral approach system) is connected predominantley with the dopaminergetic system and Nucleus accumbence being its' central structure. In our study EEG data were registered while subjects listened to their beloved music. They also filled Cloninger's TCI (in the adaptation of Almayev and Ostrovskaya), Rusalov-Trofimova Inventory and Langle's Existential Scale. The main brain activity while listetning to the music was connected to the parietal lobe (P3-Pz-P4) in Alpha band. We examined the correlation of these leads as well as those of the frontal lobe (F3-Fz-F7) with the special interest to Fz being the porjection of N.Accumbens with the scales of above mentioned Inventories in the subjects resting state, eyes closed. All of the results show that frontal leads are connected to control and selective inhibition while the parietal leads with impulsivness and extravagency (associated with BAS). Apparently dopamine is not the source of pleasure itself although participates in projection of the corresponding states to the future unless they are inhibited by the prefrontal lobe.
Pleasure from Music: Personal Traits Pro Et Contra Popular Theories