Every time we think of meeting the person we love, or spending some time with them, we get a rush of dopamine. However, the brain does not react the same way when we are excited about a work engagement. A recent study conducted by CU Boulder neuroscientists demonstrates why we like being with some people more than others.

Zoe Donaldson, associate professor of behavioral neuroscience at CU Boulder and lead author of the study, in a media release, said that the study reveals a biological signature of desire which helps in understanding how the brain reacts to love.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on prairie voles, a type of rodent that share similar patterns of relationship with human beings. They, like humans, like to couple-up, share a home, raise offsprings and grieve when they lose their partner.

The study observed what happens to the brain when the rodent falls in love, makes an intimate relationship possible, and how they get over it, when the connection is severed.

“As humans, our entire social world is basically defined by different degrees of selective desire to interact with different people, whether it’s your romantic partner or your close friends. This research suggests that certain people leave a unique chemical imprint on our brain that drives us to maintain these bonds over time,” said Zoe Donaldson.

For the study, neuroimaging technology was used and it was observed that holding hands of the partner, or trying to reach the partner showed a rush of dopamine, which lit up the sensor. However, when the vole was separated from the partner and was made to stay in a separate area, the glow stick of the sensor would stay dim.

The study helped in understanding the role that dopamine plays in motivating us to connect with our lovers. There is also an extra rush of dopamine when we spend quality time with them.

What happens when we are heartbroken?

The study sheds light of hope for the people who have underwent a painful breakup or have been separated from their lover. It was seen that when the vole couple was kept separately for over four weeks, and then reunited, the rush of dopamine was less. This suggested that with time, the heart heals and seeks for someone new to start all over again.

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