The researchers carried out the largest analysis of brain activity to date and revealed insights into how humans react to loved ones, animals and places.
The largest study yet of love-related brain activity has yielded several revelations about how humans react to loved people, animals and places. Read more below:
The relationship between love and addiction
When we end a relationship or lose a loved one, we feel pain that feels physical, right? What if we told you that this feeling isn’t imaginary? Researchers have discovered that love. when it takes action, it corresponds to the same areas as when someone has an addiction or gets a reward. Therefore, from the moment we stop feeding it, it tends to entail certain consequences. And if you think that this only happens in romantic relationships, you are wrong, because scholars have shown that the reaction applies to the six types of love.
The study
To reach this conclusion, the scientists first created a map of brain areas and measured the activity of 55 people. In this way they noticed that the reward and addiction system was activated in all types of love. However, there were differences when the person being talked about changed. “Our findings demonstrate that love in close interpersonal relationships, such as that for a child, romantic partner, or friend, is associated with significantly stronger activation in the brain’s reward system than love for strangers , pets or nature.”said the study author, Parttyli Rinne.
Different brain responses
For example, when the subject was concerned with people for whom he had very strong feelings, regions of the brain associated with thinking, feeling and understanding were activated. And the same thing happened when they felt affection for a specific animal, unlike those who were not guardians of any furry animal.
The feeling for nature, in turn, illuminated the reward system, but also did so with the corresponding visual areas. “This gives us evidence that different types of love target partly distinct and partly overlapping regions of the brain.”the psychiatrist Roland Zahn to the vehicle DW.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
