Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A study from Aalto University in Finland reveals that love, regardless of its form, stimulates the brain’s reward and addiction systems. These regions are linked to behaviors like drug use and gaming, offering a neurological explanation for the intense emotional and physical pain of breakups or loss.
The research, published in Cerebral Cortex, investigated various forms of love, including romantic, familial, friendly, and even love for pets or nature. Each type activated distinct brain regions tied to social understanding while sharing stimulation of the reward system.
Lucy Brown, a neuroscientist at Einstein College of Medicine, noted that the findings reinforce how romantic love and long-term attachments use the brain’s addiction circuits. This sheds light on the persistent emotional intensity of romantic connections.
The study involved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of 55 participants. Researchers mapped brain activity corresponding to different forms of love, uncovering patterns that highlight their impact on brain function.
According to lead researcher Parttyli Rinne, love for close interpersonal connections—such as a child, partner, or friend—stimulates the brain’s reward system more significantly than love for pets, nature, or strangers.
Pet owners exhibited unique brain activity. Love for pets strongly activated social cognition regions, unlike non-pet owners. This suggests pet ownership shapes how we process love and connection.
While love for nature or art also engages the reward system, it activates visual brain regions rather than those involved in social cognition. This distinction reflects how different types of love are experienced neurologically.
Experts like Roland Zahn of King’s College London emphasized the study’s contribution to understanding the overlap and distinctions between various forms of love. It highlights how these emotions impact both our mental and physical states through shared and unique brain pathways.