Falling in love is like being ‘high’ on drugs
- Previous research shows brain cell triggering then releases ‘feel good’ hormones
- With this insight into social interactions, the results may benefit autism patients
- Researchers analysed prairie voles, as they are a rare monogamous mammal
- Past research shows exposure to light can influence hormones and interactions
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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Falling in love is like being ‘high’ on drugs, new research reveals.
Meeting somebody special gives us the same buzz as cocaine and other illegal substances, a study found.
Findings show the feelings of giddiness and butterflies in our stomach we experience when falling for somebody triggers certain brain cells.
Previous research shows specific brain cell activation causes a surge in the ‘feel good’ hormone dopamine, which is also released after recreational drug use.
Researchers believe the findings give insight into how we can influence social interactions, which may one day benefit patients suffering from autism.
Falling in love is like being ‘high’ as it activates the same brain cells as recreational drugs
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HAVING SEX LEADS TO A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP
If you want your relationship to be strong and respectful, try having more sex, according to researchers at York University, University of Lausanne and the Université de Fribourg.
A comprehensive study that analyzed couples’ sex lives determined that more time spent in the bedroom leads to a better relationship in the long run.
The study found that when couples frequently have sex, there is much more affection in their daily lives – both physically and verbally.
Sex therapists across the United States agree a healthy sex life translates into people feeling more loved and having a stronger bond with their partner.
How the study was carried out
Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, analysed prairie voles, which, like humans, are one of the few monogamous mammals.
They examined the voles’ corticostriatal circuit, which is in the brain and is involved in how we alter our behavior to obtain rewards.
The researchers examined the circuit’s activity in female voles while they were in the same space as males for six hours.
Key findings
Results, published in Nature, found that the animals’ brain cells fired up quickly when they began to bond, which was expressed through mating and huddling.
Study author Dr Elizabeth Amadei said: ‘Prairie voles were critical to our team’s findings because studying pair bonding in humans has been traditionally difficult.
‘As humans, we know the feelings we get when we view images of our romantic partners, but, until now, we haven’t known how the brain’s reward system works to lead to those feelings and to the voles’ pair bonding.’
The animals also showed preference towards their partners compared to new males when given the choice the next day.
Previous research shows specific brain cell activation causes a surge in the ‘feel good’ hormone dopamine, which is also released after recreational drug use.
Results could benefit autism patients
Past studies have demonstrated light probes can be used to influence the release of dopamine, which may improve interactions in socially awkward people.
Study author Dr Zach Johnson said: ‘It’s amazing to think we could influence social bonding by stimulating this brain circuit with a remotely controlled light implanted into the brain.’
The researchers are now investigating how brain circuit functions influence social behaviors.
Senior author Professor Robert Liu said: ‘Our goal is to promote better neural communication to boost social cognition in disorders such as autism, in which social functioning can be impaired.’
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