Medicine for Monogamy

A Florida State University team found that the brain chemistry responsible for addiction plays a role in love. Researchers said the messenger chemical dopamine, which stimulates the brains reward centre; helps keep male Prairie voles monogamous. Prairie voles are well known for forging long-lasting relationships. Dopamine is a brain chemical which produces feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. Elevated levels are linked to increased energy, motivation to win a reward and feeling elated.The team decided to study Prairie voles because they, more than any other animal, show signs of falling in love in the way humans do. Males and females bond after a single mating encounter. After which male voles also show signs of aggression towards other females.Researchers found that after mating, dopamine was released into the brains of males and affected an area of the brain known as nucleus accumbens, which is also present in humans.

The team then blocked the activity of a protein that is activated by dopamine in the vole's brain. They found males lost their usual strong preference for their mate over other females.Lead researcher Brandon Aragona said the bond which develops between voles was extremely strong. He said the study was the first to illustrate the way the brain reacts to prompt monogamy. And he added while humans would differ, the basic mechanisms would be similar.

Source: BBC news

Love; a multifaceted emotion. I believe there are neurophysiology variations in our brains when we fall in love or develop that quick crush on somebody. I can’t imagine all those emotions boiling down to one chemical in the brain. The feelings we experience must have multiple chemicals in action. I’m probably being erroneous but there’s a lot more that behaviour programming, neuroscience and neurobiology has to offer and we are most likely at the infancy of our discoveries. I hope we don't advance too fast otherwise we will all be high on man made love concoction :)