Love

Chemistry of love

Love is a short-term increase in dopamine, norepinephrine, prolactin, luliberin and oxytocin.

A tiny molecule of phenylethylamine (FEA) causes certain sensations: high mood, excitation, euphoria.

Love at first sight - when FEA saturation occurs in the neurons of the limbic system.

And tenderness is endorphins (opium for two).

Passion lasts an average of 317.5 days.

Chronicle

2024

Lovers synchronize brain activity

At the end of August 2024, specialists from the University of Science and Technology of China published the results of a study saying that when emotions are perceived, romantic couples show greater synchronization both in behavior and brain activity than close friends. This sheds light on the features of the brain in lovers.

The study involved 25 heterosexual couples and 25 couples of close friends - all students of the named university. They were shown emotionally rich videos, while their brain activity was analyzed using the EEG-hyperscanning method. This technology allows two people to simultaneously record brain signals. The video clips, which ranged in length from 50 to 250 seconds, were chosen to evoke a range of emotions, including happiness, sadness, anger, fear and disgust.

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Freepik

After watching each clip, participants assessed their emotional responses. The researchers then calculated how closely each pair's emotions were matched. In addition, the authors of the work analyzed the synchronization of brain activity, especially in the prefrontal cortex, in different frequency ranges.

Romantic couples have been found to exhibit higher levels of both behavioral and neural synchronization compared to close friends when watching the same emotional videos. This synchronization is particularly pronounced in the alpha frequency range, which is associated with emotional regulation and cognitive processing. Moreover, couples with lower relationship quality showed a higher level of neural synchronization. On the other hand, couples with higher relationship quality demonstrated better behavioral synchronization.

Scientists also found that negative emotions such as sadness and anger were more synchronized between couples than positive ones - happiness and joy. This finding is consistent with previous research suggesting that negative emotions may play a key role in maintaining connections in romantic relationships. The authors of the study concluded that neural activity - especially in the prefrontal cortex - can serve as a physiological marker that distinguishes romantic relationships from friendly ones.^[1]

How love changes the brain - the world's first study

On January 9, 2024, experts from the Australian National University, the University of Canberra and the University of South Australia released the results of the world's first study explaining how love changes the brain. It turned out that during falling in love, the brain differently perceives the world around it.

During romantic love, the hormone oxytocin, responsible for the euphoria people experience when they fall in love, is known to be released. But how exactly this process proceeds over time remained unknown. In the course of the study, experts studied the connection between the system of behavioral activation of the human brain and romantic love. For this, 1,556 young people were interviewed, who identified themselves as "lovers."

It turned out that during falling in love, the brain differently perceives the world around it

The questions focused on the emotional response to the partner, their relationship to the other and the attention they paid to their loved one. It turned out that during falling in love, changes in the body make the object of our attachment "the center of our life." The study shows that romantic love is associated with both changes in behavior and emotions. At the same time, it turned out that this process is associated with dopamine - a hormone and neurotransmitter, which in the brain is involved in the regulation of behavior and motor skills.

We know the role oxytocin plays in romantic love because its waves circulate our nervous system and blood flow when we interact with loved ones. However, the fact that loved ones take on particular importance is explained by the combination of oxytocin and dopamine, a chemical that our brains release during romantic love. In fact, love activates pathways in the brain associated with positive feelings, says Dr. Phil Kavanagh of the University of Canberra.[2]

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