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What has love got to do with neuroscience?
The members of the chapter have dedicated the past six months to a discussion of the literature on the neurochemical correlates of sexual love, taking into account our previous study of the neural correlates of aggressive behaviors. We started from the premise of the Scottish psychoanalyst W. R. Fairbairn that the libido is essentially object-seeking, and not exclusively pleasure-seeking (Fairbairn, 2001).
In accordance with an article by Young (2009), it appears likely that love bonds are brain mechanisms conserved by evolution. In humans, as well as in rats, monkeys, and sheep, the neurohormone oxytocin (Oxy) is related to birth processes and maternal behaviors. A type of prairie rat initiates monogamous bonds when more Oxy is released, similar to the release that occurs in conjunction with maternal behaviors; the conclusion may be drawn that the greater release of Oxy promotes the formation of both sexual and nonsexual links. The hormone interacts with the dopaminergic transmission in the same brain regions that mediate the addiction to substances such as cocaine, alcohol, and opiates. Similar brain areas, corresponding to reward processes mediated by dopamine, are activated when a mother sees photographs of children and when lovers look at photos of their loved ones. In sum, there is a neurochemical superimposition between the addiction circuits, the formation of sexual pair-bonding, and maternal behaviors.
What happens with regard to the brain areas and the neurotransmitters involved in bonding in the male brain? The regions appear to be the same as those of the female brain, but they are controlled by vasopressin, another neurohormone released by the neurohypophysis. In males, this hormone has been associated with the formation of bonds, aggression in the face of possible competitive rivals, and paternal behaviors such as the cleaning of pups. The variances in the regulating gene for the synthesis of a subtype of the vas