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Newsletter 21

Links and Ressources about LOVE - The N



A 2005 study was the first to analyze functional MRI images of the brains of people in love. 


When looking at their romantic partners, their brains lit up in regions associated with the reward center. It turns out that when we fall in love, several neurotransmitters related to this reward system flood our brains, making our emotions and our bodies go haywire.

Two areas of their brains lit up when they saw their lover: the caudate nucleus and the ventral tegmental area, or VTA.


The caudate nucleus detects rewards, like love interests. And the VTA is a little factory near the base of the brain. It manufactures dopamine and sends it out. So when the VTA is active, you're feeling good.





From literature to plays and movies throughout the world, Humanity's fascination with love is just as strong as our obsession with heartbreak.


But, is a broken heart simply an abstract concept, or are there real physical affects on the body and the brain? Whenever you endure physical pain, such as a cut or injury, the anterior cingulate cortex is stimulated.

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