Love, Sex, And Your Brain

I am endlessly fascinated by the intersections of sex and science. Where does love end and biology begin? How much of love is a romantic, unexplainable emotion and how much is a chemical reaction in the brain? Will science ever be able to explain it all? Would we want it to?

A lot has happened lately on that front.

On Attraction:

Scientists in Ireland have discovered a brain region that plays a major role in romantic decision-making. The region is the medial prefrontal cortex, located near the front of the brain. The medial prefrontal cortex is responsible for making snap judgments about physical attraction and compatibility - all within milliseconds of seeing a person for the first time.

On Children:

Researchers at Bar Ilan University in Israel studied couples with children and found that marital satisfaction decreased following the birth of the first child. It continued to decline steadily after that, reaching its lowest point when the kids became teenagers. Couples with stronger relationships to begin with showed fewer signs of dissatisfaction after having children, though in all cases marital dissatisfaction was not significantly related to divorce. When children leave the home and couples have more time together, they are often able to rebuild closeness and intimacy.

On Sex:

A brain imaging study found that, compared to new partners, long-term partners show activity in brain areas associated with attachment that demonstrated greater calmness and less tension. As long-term partners settle into their relationship, they become more securely attached and less fearful of abandonment. It's important to build a strong romantic bond early on, so that love can withstand the challenges of aging and family development.

On Romance:

Can romance last, or is it destined to disappear with time? Brain imaging studies conducted by Art Aron (who collaborated with his wife of 37 years) at Stony Brook University have provided proof that romantic love can last, at least for around 5-12% of couples.

On Love:

Aron's research showed that love has a unique physiological profile in the brain. Brain scans of both long-term and recent couples revealed activity in the ventral tagmental area (VTA) of the brain, an area with a high concentration of dopamine, which is associated with reward and motivation. Long-term love appears to activate the brain's reward systems. Aron also found that long-term couples who reported the most romantic love on questionnaires had levels of VTA activity similar to those of couples who were newly in love.