Vick
02-25-2004, 01:31 PM
Scientists are discovering that animals -- and people -- become "addicted" to each other through a process of sexual imprinting, mediated by the brain's reward system, and that genetics and neurochemistry cause people to love, lust, form attachments, develop fetishes, be promiscuous or loyal, and a lot more.
At the center of the story are two chemicals -- oxytocin and vasopressin. Both excite the reward center of the brain, and the amount of each in your brain is genetically determined. All the world's monogamous animals -- that's 3%, including humans --- have them. The 97% of nonmonogamous animals don't have them.
Oxytocin and vasopressin, which are released during sexual intercourse, excite brain regions associated with reward and reinforcement. They're the glue that attaches people to each other
Oxytocin and vasopressin are also involved with identifying others. Animals identify or remember each other based on smell, which is where pheromones come in the parts of the brain that are excited by romantic love are the same ones that create the euphoria induced by cocaine. In other words, the same neural mechanisms are activated in love as are activated during the process of addiction
There's a large variation in the distribution of vasopressin receptors from individual to individual. This may explain individual differences in social behavior -- especially infidelity.
There are three forms of "love" -- lust, romantic love and long-term attachment -- and they're separate phenomena, roughly equivalent to systems necessary to mate, bond and parent.
The aftermath of sex is similar to the state induced by taking opiates, including increases in serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin and endogenous opioids (the body's natural equivalent of heroin).
"Being in love" may share chemical characteristics with the manic phase of manic-depressive disorder.
Because the three systems of love are independent and can work simultaneously, it's possible to love more than one person at a time
The list goes on and including possibilities of using drugs or genetic medicine to help people form more satisfying relationships.
More info at http://www.economist.com/printedition/disp...tory_ID=2424049 (http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=2424049)
NOTE - I am not certain that Humans are really monogamous animals
At the center of the story are two chemicals -- oxytocin and vasopressin. Both excite the reward center of the brain, and the amount of each in your brain is genetically determined. All the world's monogamous animals -- that's 3%, including humans --- have them. The 97% of nonmonogamous animals don't have them.
Oxytocin and vasopressin, which are released during sexual intercourse, excite brain regions associated with reward and reinforcement. They're the glue that attaches people to each other
Oxytocin and vasopressin are also involved with identifying others. Animals identify or remember each other based on smell, which is where pheromones come in the parts of the brain that are excited by romantic love are the same ones that create the euphoria induced by cocaine. In other words, the same neural mechanisms are activated in love as are activated during the process of addiction
There's a large variation in the distribution of vasopressin receptors from individual to individual. This may explain individual differences in social behavior -- especially infidelity.
There are three forms of "love" -- lust, romantic love and long-term attachment -- and they're separate phenomena, roughly equivalent to systems necessary to mate, bond and parent.
The aftermath of sex is similar to the state induced by taking opiates, including increases in serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin and endogenous opioids (the body's natural equivalent of heroin).
"Being in love" may share chemical characteristics with the manic phase of manic-depressive disorder.
Because the three systems of love are independent and can work simultaneously, it's possible to love more than one person at a time
The list goes on and including possibilities of using drugs or genetic medicine to help people form more satisfying relationships.
More info at http://www.economist.com/printedition/disp...tory_ID=2424049 (http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=2424049)
NOTE - I am not certain that Humans are really monogamous animals