CT Love

Neuroscientists in the U.S. and Switzerland summarized the results of six studies of the phenomenon of love, performed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The authors concluded that love - not just a "basic emotion", and a complex phenomenon associated with the activity of many brain regions responsible for different mental functions.

such functions include a feeling of pleasure, the formation of attachment and motivation of purposeful behavior, social cognition and perception of itself. Brain regions associated with passionate love and maternal love, intersect, but still have their specificity.

Fig. 1. Areas of the brain which are excited at the loving people in response to stimuli associated with the object of love (combined scheme, based on the six studies). The lighter shade of red, especially in a larger number of different experiments focusing on different aspects and varieties of love, noted an increased stimulation of this brain region. The top image - outer surface of the hemispheres, the lower - medial surface (longitudinal section of the brain). Image discussion of the article in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

American and Swiss neuroscientists led by Stephanie Ortigia (Stephanie Ortigue) from Syracuse University, published in the journal The Journal of Sexual Medicine review of the results of all conducted to date, studies of the phenomenon of love, performed by fMRI. A thorough search in several of the largest electronic libraries has shown that such studies, where it was just about love, not about any kind of psychic phenomena and related emotions, which used fMRI and which has complied with all adopted the methodological and ethical standards, while only six fulfilled (the very first - in 2000). One of these six works were carried out under the leadership of most S. Ortigia (Ortigue et al., 2007. The neural basis of love as a subliminal prime: an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study). The three works brought together volunteers who are, according to them, in a state of passionate romantic love. In two studies examined maternal love, in one - an abstract "selfless" love (unconditional love) to unfamiliar people unhappy. In total, six trials attended by 120 people (99 women and 21 men). The sample did not get published without English summary and not be detected by search engines according to the word «love».

The method of fMRI reveals brain regions are active at the moment. These sites surging arterial blood, so after 1-5 seconds after excitation there is more of oxyhemoglobin, which, in fact, registered in the tomograms (see: Functional magnetic resonance imaging).

To understand which brain areas are connected with love (or anything else) are always needed to be monitored. For example, when studying the passionate love comparing brain's response to stimuli (a photograph or name), related to the object of passion, with the brain's response to the same stimuli, relevant to his friends (including friends of the same sex as the object of passion), and to strangers people. Comparison of the obtained tomograms allows us to identify areas that are significantly more excited at the thought of the beloved than a friend or stranger. In the study of maternal love stimulation of the brain when looking at the photograph of their own child compared with the reaction to pictures of other children the same age as the best of friends and acquaintances.

According to the authors, the currently available data should be considered preliminary, but some patterns can be noted now.

Fig. 2. Professor Stephanie Ortigia from Syracuse University knows about love more than anyone else. Photo from psychweb.syr.edu.

Romantic (passionate) love, or love, is associated with a complex excitation of several parts of the brain.

• Firstly, it dopaminergic subcortical areas responsible for the positive reinforcement ("reward system"), a feeling of pleasure, euphoria. In these areas a lot of dopamine receptors and oxytocin (see: Genes control the behavior, and behavior - genes, "elements", 12.11.2008). These include the caudate nucleus (caudate nucleus) and shell (putamen). These are areas that are excited under the influence of cocaine (because cocaine inhibits dopamine reuptake by nerve endings that secrete dopamine).
• Secondly, when excited by a passionate love island (insula) and anterior cingulate (anterior cingulate cortex) - departments related to sexual arousal.
• Third, the reduced excitation amygdala (amygdala; responsible for fear, anxiety, restlessness) and posterior cingulate gyrus (posterior cingulate cortex). Apparently, the anterior cingulate is responsible for the experience of happy love and sexual arousal, whereas its rear part is activated by the experience of unrequited love or grief from the loss of loved one - for example, widows, which show pictures of recently deceased husband.

In general, the specific nature of the excitation of subcortical areas in response to stimuli associated with the object of passion, indicates that this here is not just about emotions, but also about the motivation of purposeful behavior (installation of rapprochement, the connection with loved ones). This is evidenced, in particular, the excitation of the caudate nucleus, whose work is related to goal-setting, reward anticipation and preparation for action.

- Fourth, when the love shown for a split second the name of a loved one (so that they do not even have time to realize that you have read it), recorded the excitation of several "high" (cortical) areas of the brain responsible for social cognition (social cognition), concentration and mental representation (image) itself. Discover the connection between these "higher" cognitive units with a passionate love methodologically difficult than "emotional" areas, because the scan is usually carried out over a relatively long time (17-30 seconds) during which the subject has time to think about much. But they are clearly identified, if the stimulus associated with the object of passion (such as a name) does not reach the consciousness of the subject.

Maternal love is associated with a specific excitation of dopaminergic subcortical structures, including caudate nucleus, shell, black substance (substantia nigra) and the thalamus. All this obviously has to do with the feeling of pleasure and reward system, and there are many intersections with those areas that are excited by a passionate love. In addition, maternal love is associated with the activity of the same "emotional" parts of the cortex that passionate love (islet and anterior cingulate). However, maternal love and have their own specific subcortical area, which is not related to passionate love - okolovodoprovodnoe gray matter (SALT, periaqueductal gray matter). This site is closely linked with the emotional centers of the limbic system and contains many vazopressinovyh receptors, which are very important for the formation of maternal attachment. Traced, and another link between maternal love and SALT: This section of the brain has to suppress feelings of pain with strong emotional experiences, including during childbirth.

In one study, subjects were shown photos of strangers mentally disabled persons and asked to either just relax (control), or relax and try to feel (to impress you) love for this man. It turned out that such attempts lead to the excitation of approximately the same brain regions as a mother's love. Including excited and SALT. Also intensified the emotional centers, including the island caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate.

According to the authors, these results allow us to consider love above all as a "dopaminergic purposeful motivation for the formation of pair bonds» (dopaminergic goal-directed motivation for pair-bonding). Such a definition of love may seem a little unusual, but they are backed by neurobiological data. There is no doubt an active part dopaminergic "reward system, dopamine and oksitotsinovyh receptors in the formation of the mental state we call love. It is also clear that love - is not only an emotion, feeling, and motivation for action aimed at the formation of the bond (emotional or sexual) with the object of love.

The authors emphasize that love - it is something more than "basic emotions". It is inextricably linked with certain "higher" cognitive functions. In particular, romantic love involves the activity of the cortex responsible for social cognition (working with information about other people) and perception (image) itself. Activation of these departments is particularly apparent when stimuli associated with the object of passion, do not reach consciousness. The authors see this as an indirect confirmation of the theory that love is based on a desire to expand the internal image of themselves through the inclusion of another person in this image (Aron EN, Aron A., 1996. Love and expansion of the self: The state of the model / / Personal Relationships. V. 3. P. 45-58).

Such studies are not only of academic interest. The authors believe that detailed data on the relationship of love with the work of certain parts of the brain can help doctors and psychologists to better diagnose and correct all kinds of family problems.

The research results were published in the article:

Stephanie Ortigue, Francesco Bianchi-Demicheli, Nisa Patel, Chris Frum, James W. Lewis. Neuroimaging of Love: fMRI Meta-Analysis Evidence Toward New Perspectives in Sexual Medicine - The Journal of Sexual Medicine. - V.7. - (11). P. 3541-3552. November 2010. Doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01999.