Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love
Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love
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DOI：
10.1093/scan/nsq092
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发表时间：
2012-02-01
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Brown, Lucy L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Acevedo, Bianca P.;Aron, Arthur;Brown, Lucy L.
本研究使用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)研究了长期强烈浪漫爱情的神经关联。10名女性和7名男性的平均结婚时间为21.4年，他们在观看伴侣的面部图像时接受了功能磁共振成像。对照图像包括一位非常熟悉的熟人；一位亲密的长期朋友；以及一位不太熟悉的人。研究发现：(I)富含多巴胺的奖赏和基底节系统的区域，如腹侧被盖区(VTA)和背侧纹状体，与早期浪漫爱情研究的结果一致；以及(Ii)与母亲依恋有关的几个区域，如苍白球(GP)、黑质、中缝核、丘脑、岛叶皮质、前扣带和后扣带。感兴趣区神经活动与广泛使用的问卷的相关性显示：(I)VTA和尾状核反应与浪漫爱情得分和对他人的自我包容相关；(Ii)GP反应与基于友谊的爱情得分相关；(Iii)下丘脑和海马后部反应与性行为频率相关；(Iv)尾状核、隔/穹隆、后扣带和海马后部反应与强迫症相关。总体而言，研究结果表明，对于一些人来说，与长期伴侣相关的奖励价值可能是持续的，类似于新的爱情，但也涉及与依恋和配对联系有关的大脑系统。
The present study examined the neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Ten women and 7 men married an average of 21.4 years underwent fMRI while viewing facial images of their partner. Control images included a highly familiar acquaintance; a close, long-term friend; and a low-familiar person. Effects specific to the intensely loved, long-term partner were found in: (i) areas of the dopamine-rich reward and basal ganglia system, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dorsal striatum, consistent with results from early-stage romantic love studies; and (ii) several regions implicated in maternal attachment, such as the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra, Raphe nucleus, thalamus, insular cortex, anterior cingulate and posterior cingulate. Correlations of neural activity in regions of interest with widely used questionnaires showed: (i) VTA and caudate responses correlated with romantic love scores and inclusion of other in the self; (ii) GP responses correlated with friendship-based love scores; (iii) hypothalamus and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with sexual frequency; and (iv) caudate, septum/fornix, posterior cingulate and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with obsession. Overall, results suggest that for some individuals the reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love, but also involves brain systems implicated in attachment and pair-bonding.