Dopamine also carries signals to the nucleus accumbens, or reward center, which is where Ritalin, amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (Adderall), and the active agents of other stimulants—from coffee to chocolate to cocaine—end up. The reward center needs to be sufficiently activated before it will carry out its important duty of telling the prefrontal cortex that something is worth paying attention to. It engages the prioritizing aspect of executive function, and this is a central component of motivation.
