The Emotional State and The MRI: What's Love Got To Do With It?

A news item in todays New York Times reports that researchers studying brain patterns of people who are newly in love, have seen "the neural activity associated with romantic love alters slightly, and in some cases primes areas deep in the primitive brain that are involved in long-term attachment".

"In the study, a computer-generated map of particularly active areas showed hot spots deep in the brain, below conscious awareness, in areas called the caudate nucleus and the ventral tegmental area, which communicate with each other as part of a circuit." It is in the caudate nucleus that was particularly active in people who measured highly in a questionnaire measuring passionate love. What is interesting is that this part of the brain is on the opposite side that registers physical attractiveness. It does appear to be involved "in longing, desire and the unexplainable tug that people feel toward one person, among many attractive alternative partners."

Read the article:
Arthur Aron, Helen E Fisher, Debra J Mashek, Greg Strong, Hai-fang Li, and Lucy L Brown Reward, Motivation and Emotion Systems Associated with Early-Stage Intense Romantic Love J Neurophysiol, May 2005; 10.1152