UK Wedding News
22/01/2014
According to a team of experts at Bonn University Medical Centre in Germany, the hormone oxytocin plays a key role in strengthening feelings.
Oxytocin is produced by the brain and serves numerous purposes.
Previous research has shown that the hormone helps to induce labour. It is also known as the "cuddle" hormone, as the brain is known to produce more of it when someone is falling in love.
For this study, of which the results have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were based on a study of 40 heterosexual men who were all in permanent relationships.
Each man was given one dose of oxytocin sprayed up their nose before they underwent brain scans as they looked at two groups of photographs – one of their partners and one of a woman they had never met.
Later, the men underwent the same procedure a second time, only with a placebo spray.
Consequently, the scans showed the "reward" centres of the brain lit up more brightly in the oxytocin group, than when a 'dummy' spray was used.
Commenting on the findings, researcher Dr Dirk Scheele said: "When they had oxytocin, they perceived their partner as more attractive than the other women."
In another experiment, the men were given the hormone once again but were shown photos of their female acquaintances or their work colleagues. The idea behind the experiment was to see if oxytocin activated the brain because the faces were familiar.
The researchers confirmed that the hormone only had an affect wen the photos of a loved one were viewed.
Dr Scheele continued: "The activation of the reward system with the aid of oxytocin had a very selective effect with the pictures of the partners.
"We did not detect this effect with pictures of longstanding acquaintances. Based on these results, therefore, simple familiarity is not enough to stimulate the bonding effect. They have to be loving couples."
It is thought the findings could also help explain why people can fall into depression after separating from a partner, as a lack of oxytocin secretion means the brain's reward system is being under stimulated and in a state of a withdrawal, the researchers concluded.
(JP/IT)
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'Cuddle' Hormone Could Be The Key To A Happy Marriage
The secret to a happy marriage could be down to a hormone produced in the brain, new research has claimed.According to a team of experts at Bonn University Medical Centre in Germany, the hormone oxytocin plays a key role in strengthening feelings.
Oxytocin is produced by the brain and serves numerous purposes.
Previous research has shown that the hormone helps to induce labour. It is also known as the "cuddle" hormone, as the brain is known to produce more of it when someone is falling in love.
For this study, of which the results have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were based on a study of 40 heterosexual men who were all in permanent relationships.
Each man was given one dose of oxytocin sprayed up their nose before they underwent brain scans as they looked at two groups of photographs – one of their partners and one of a woman they had never met.
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Later, the men underwent the same procedure a second time, only with a placebo spray.
Consequently, the scans showed the "reward" centres of the brain lit up more brightly in the oxytocin group, than when a 'dummy' spray was used.
Commenting on the findings, researcher Dr Dirk Scheele said: "When they had oxytocin, they perceived their partner as more attractive than the other women."
In another experiment, the men were given the hormone once again but were shown photos of their female acquaintances or their work colleagues. The idea behind the experiment was to see if oxytocin activated the brain because the faces were familiar.
The researchers confirmed that the hormone only had an affect wen the photos of a loved one were viewed.
Dr Scheele continued: "The activation of the reward system with the aid of oxytocin had a very selective effect with the pictures of the partners.
"We did not detect this effect with pictures of longstanding acquaintances. Based on these results, therefore, simple familiarity is not enough to stimulate the bonding effect. They have to be loving couples."
It is thought the findings could also help explain why people can fall into depression after separating from a partner, as a lack of oxytocin secretion means the brain's reward system is being under stimulated and in a state of a withdrawal, the researchers concluded.
(JP/IT)
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