When we’re in romantic relationships, neurobiological changes can affect our brains, causing certain areas to light up when viewed with imaging technology. Research also shows that some regions of the brain appear to deactivate when we’re in love. Here are some highlights of what researchers have found.
Changes in the brain
In a UK study from 2000, scientists recruited 17 healthy male and female volunteers between 21 and 37 who reported that they were “truly, deeply and madly in love” with someone. The research team had participants view photos of the participants’ significant others while undergoing brain scan. The results showed:
- The medial insula, anterior cingulate cortex and parts of the dorsal striatum lit up.
- Parts of the right prefrontal cortex, bilateral parietal cortex and temporal cortices seemed deactivated.
“The areas that are involved [in the neurochemistry of love] are, in the cortex, the medial insula, anterior cingulate and hippocampus,” says Professor Semir Zeki of University College London, “and, in the subcortex, parts of the striatum and probably also the nucleus accumbens, which together constitute core regions of the reward system.”
That’s because, when it comes to love, there are a lot of neurotransmitters and hormones involved.
“There are a number of brain regions that are more active when people look at their beloved than when they look at other people,” explains Sandra Langeslag, Ph.D. “One of my studies suggests that activation of the caudate nucleus and putamen (which together are called the dorsal striatum) reflects that attending or responding to your beloved is typically associated with positive reinforcement more than attending or responding to other people, or ignoring your beloved, are.”
Love, appetite and mood
According to Professor Zeki, romantic love activates areas of the brain that have high concentrations of a neuromodulator associated with desire, reward, addiction and euphoric states. Primarily, this is dopamine, which makes us want to bond with other people.
But when you’re in love and dopamine levels are high, another brain chemical, serotonin, decreases. Serotonin is linked to mood and appetite. This may explain why people don’t overeat as much when they’re in love.
