Imaging the passionate stage of romantic love by dopamine dynamics

Abstract

Using [11C]raclopride, a dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist, we undertook a positron emission tomography (PET) study to investigate the involvement of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system when subjects viewed the pictures of partners to whom they were romantically attached. Ten subjects viewed pictures of their romantic partners and, as a control, of friends of the same sex for whom they had neutral feelings during the PET study. We administered [11C]raclopride to subjects using a timing for injecting the antagonist which had been determined in previous studies to be optimal for detecting increases in the amount of dopamine released by stimulation. The results demonstrated statistically significant activation of the dopaminergic system in two regions, the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and medial prefrontal cortex, the former of which has been strongly implicated in a variety of rewarding experiences, including that of beauty and love. A positive correlation was obtained in mOFC between excitement levels and dopaminergic activation only in the love but not in the control condition.

Being in a Romantic Relationship Is Associated with Reduced Gray Matter Density in Striatum and Increased Subjective Happiness

“…The in-relationship group comprised 56 healthy volunteers (32 males and 24 females; age = 21.8 ± 0.3 years) with a reported duration of “being in a romantic relationship” of 17.0 ± 2.0 months [i.e., early-stage romantic relationships, as in a previous study (Takahashi et al, 2015)]. The no-relationship group comprised 57 healthy volunteers (32 males and 25 females; age = 21.0 ± 0.2 years).…”

“…In terms of neural underpinnings, romantic love has a specific neuropsychological signature, including the release of hormones such as dopamine (Takahashi et al, 2015). Dopamine tends to be focused on the nucleus accumbens of the ventral striatum through pair bonding (Aragona et al, 2006).…”

The Psychology of Love and Hate in Intimate Relationships

“…According to Fisher (2004a, b), three chemicals (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin), play a crucial role in romantic passion (Takahashi et al 2015). According to Fisher (2004a, b), three chemicals (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin), play a crucial role in romantic passion (Takahashi et al 2015).…”

Passionate Love: Inspired by Angels or Demons?

“…According to Fisher (2004a, b), three chemicals (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin), play a crucial role in romantic passion (Takahashi et al 2015). Aron et al (2005) conducted a series of fMRI studies.…”