It’s not only your heart, brain also falls in love

Oct 28, 2010 - New York |

Given your heart to someone? Check it out, you might have surrendered your brain too, scientists say. Researchers at the Syracuse University here found that the brain plays as important role as the heart when a person falls in love with someone.
The researchers who analysed past studies on brain with an aim of understanding love found that 12 areas of the brain seem to be working together when you swooned at the sight of your love interest. Stephanie Ortigue, who led the research, said the finding suggests that it takes about a fifth of a second to fall in love — the “most important concepts in life” that is not well understood.
“As a scientist I wanted to bring some rationality to the irrational, and to see if love exists in the brain,” Ortigue told LiveScience.
The team found that when a person falls in love, different areas of the brain release euphoria-inducing chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin (the so-called love hormone), adrenaline and vasopressin which causes aggression. Other studies have suggested blood levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein that plays a role in the survival and maintenance of brain cells, also increase in couples in love. Ortigue said this molecule also plays an important role in the social chemistry between humans or the phenomenon of love at first sight.

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