Mukul Vyas
It is said that love touches your heart, but it has more to do with the mind than the heart. In love, important chemicals are released from certain areas of the brain. One of these parts of the brain is the hypothalamus. It is an almond-shaped, multi-tasking area within the brain that releases a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone can also be called ‘love chemical’. Dr. Gul Dolen, professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, has studied the effects of love on the brain.
hormones one, love many
Oxytocin is a special hormone, which increases bonding and attachment. The cells of the hypothalamus release this hormone into the pituitary gland, where it is stored for further use. This hormone is released during orgasm, hugging, childbirth and breastfeeding. Dr. Gul Dolen’s study published in Neuron Journal explains it more clearly.
- Accordingly, first of all it should be clear what we mean by love. Not all types of love look the same in the mind. Romantic love, respect for parents, affection between friends – they are all different.
- Although all of these feelings involve some of the same brain chemicals, they do not originate from the same neurons or nerve cells in the brain.
- Romantic love comes from large nerve cells in the hypothalamus, called magnocellular neurons.
- Other forms of love come from small nerve cells or parvocellular neurons.
- How does romantic love dominate the senses? Actually, 60,000 to 85,000 molecules of oxytocin are released in magnocellular neurons when someone is in love. This is much more than the smaller neurons, which release 7,000 to 10,000 molecules.
- The molecules of oxytocin associated with romantic love and romantic love also act differently once released. The oxytocin of romantic love is released from cells and enters the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid is also called cerebrospinal fluid.
- This oxytocin is found in the adrenal glands, uterus, breast and brain cells that have its receptors. Oxytocin binds to and activates these receptors.
- The receptor response varies from organ to organ, but includes feelings of love, including lactation, attachment, and euphoria.
- Big love fills the whole mind. This is why everything looks rosy and you lose your composure. Whereas in simple love, your brain releases very small amounts of oxytocin from tiny neurons. It does not soak the whole brain and does not enter the blood stream.
experiments on rats
Researchers did this study on rats instead of humans. Dr. Dolen said that brain scans in humans can show how much blood is flowing in specific areas of the brain. But they do not separate specific love-associated neurons from other neurons in the hypothalamus. Researchers can use genetically modified mice to study how love affects a functioning brain. In such mice, specific neurons start glowing after being activated.
change of mind
Sandra Langschlag, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, studied how love changes your brain in real time. In brain scans, they found that when people looked at pictures of their loved ones, parts of the brain received more oxygen and their brains lit up more, compared to their acquaintances. They found that people pay better attention to their sweetheart than to a handsome stranger or their friends.