Our current knowledge of the neurobiology of romantic love remains scanty.

In view of
the complexity of a sentiment like love, it would not be surprising that a diversity of
biochemical mechanisms could be involved in the mood changes of the initial stage of
a romance. In the present study, we have examined whether the early romantic phase
of a loving relationship could be associated with alterations in circulating levels of
neurotrophins (NTs). Plasma levels of NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4 were measured in
a total of 58 subjects who had recently fallen in love and compared with those of two
control groups, consisting of subjects who were either single or were already engaged
in a long-lasting relationship. NGF level was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the
subjects in love [mean (SEM): 227 (14) pg/ml] than in either the subjects with a long-
lasting relationship [123 (10) pg/ml] or the subjects with no relationship [149 (12)
pg/ml]. Notably, there was also a significant positive correlation between levels of NGF
and the intensity of romantic love as assessed with the passionate love scale (r = 0.34;
p = 0.007). No differences in the concentrations of other NTs were detected. In 39
subjects in love who-after 12-24 months-maintained the same relationship but were no
longer in the same mental state to which they had referred during the initial evaluation,
plasma NGF levels decreased and became indistinguishable from those of the control
groups. Taken together, these findings suggest that some behavioural and/or
psychological features associated with falling in love could be related to raise d NGF
levels in the bloodstream.
Love, attachment, and truth of human monogamy have become important research
themes in neuroscience. After the introduction of functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (fMRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), neuroscientists have
demonstrated increased interest in the neurobiology and neurochemistry of emotions,
including love and affection. Neurobiologists have studied pair-bonding mechanisms in
animal models of mate choice to elucidate neurochemical mechanisms underlying
attachment and showed possible roles for oxytocin, vasopressin, and dopamine and
their receptors in pair-bonding and monogamy. Unresolved is whether these
substances are also critically involved in human attachment. The limited number of
available imaging studies on love and affection is hampered by selection bias on
gender, duration of a love affair, and cultural differences. Brain activity patterns
associated with romantic love, shown with fMRI, overlapped with regions expressing
oxytocin receptors in the animal models, but definite proof for a role of oxytocin in
human attachment is still lacking. There is also evidence for a role of serotonin,
cortisol, nerve growth factor, and testosterone in love and attachment. Changes in
brain activity related to the various stages of a love affair, gender, and cultural
differences are unresolved and will probably become important research themes in this
field in the near future. In this review we give a resume of the current knowledge of the
neurobiology of love and attachment and we discuss in brief the truth of human
monogamy.
BACKGROUND:
The evolutionary consequences of love are so important that there must be some long-
established biological process regulating it. Recent findings suggest that the serotonin
(5-HT) transporter might be linked to both neuroticism and sexual behaviour as well as
to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The similarities between an overvalued idea,
such as that typical of subjects in the early phase of a love relationship, and obsession,
prompted us to explore the possibility that the two conditions might share alterations at
the level of the 5-HT transporter.

METHODS:
Twenty subjects who had recently (within the previous 6 months) fallen in love, 20
unmedicated OCD patients and 20 normal controls, were included in the study. The 5-
HT transporter was evaluated with the specific binding of 3H-paroxetine (3H-Par) to
platelet membranes.

RESULTS:
The results showed that the density of 3H-Par binding sites was significantly lower in
subjects who had recently fallen in love and in OCD patients than in controls.

DISCUSSION:
The main finding of the present study is that subjects who were in the early romantic
phase of a love relationship were not different from OCD patients in terms of the
density of the platelet 5-HT transporter, which proved to be significantly lower than in
the normal controls. This would suggest common neurochemical changes involving the
5-HT system, linked to psychological dimensions shared by the two conditions,
perhaps at an ideational level.
Getting struck by Cupid's arrow may very well take your breath away and make your
heart go pitter-patter this Valentine's Day, reports sexual wellness specialists at Loyola
University Health System.

"Falling in love causes our body to release a flood of feel-good chemicals that trigger
specific physical reactions," said Pat Mumby, PhD, co-director of the Loyola Sexual
Wellness Clinic and professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences,
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM). "This internal elixir of
love is responsible for making our cheeks flush, our palms sweat and our hearts race."

Levels of these substances, which include dopamine, adrenaline and norepinephrine,

increase when two people fall in love. Dopamine creates feelings of euphoria while
adrenaline and norepinephrine are responsible for the pitter-patter of the heart,
restlessness and overall preoccupation that go along with experiencing love.

MRI scans indicate that love lights up the pleasure center of the brain. When we
fall in love, blood flow increases in this area, which is the same part of the brain
implicated in obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

"Love lowers serotonin levels, which is common in people with obsessive-

compulsive disorders," said Mary Lynn, DO, co-director of the Loyola Sexual Wellness
Clinic and assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, SSOM. "This
may explain why we concentrate on little other than our partner during the early stages
of a relationship."

Doctors caution that these physical responses to love may work to our disadvantage.

"The phrase 'love is blind' is a valid notion because we tend to idealize our partner
and see only things that we want to see in the early stages of the relationship," Dr.
Mumby said. "Outsiders may have a much more objective and rational perspective on
the partnership than the two people involved do."

There are three phases of love, which include lust, attraction and attachment. Lust is a
hormone-driven phase where we experience desire. Blood flow to the pleasure center
of the brain happens during the attraction phase, when we feel an overwhelming
fixation with our partner. This behavior fades during the attachment phase, when the
body develops a tolerance to the pleasure stimulants. Endorphins and hormones
vasopressin and oxytocin also flood the body at this point creating an overall sense of
well-being and security that is conducive to a lasting relationship.
Story Source:

Materials provided by Loyola University Health System. Note: Content may be

edited for style and length.

Oxitocina TIFFANY LOVE A DIZER QUE OS HUMANOS SÃO COMO OS PRAIRIE

VOLES ncbi https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877159/

PRAIRIE VOLES STUDIES REVIEW https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3012750/