Feelings of love are among the most significant human phenomena. Love informs the formation and maintenance of pair bonds and parent-offspring attachments and influences relationships with others and even nature. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms of love beyond romantic and maternal types.
More comprehensive brain imaging may explain why we use the same word for such a diverse collection of human experiences. Researchers from Aalto University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activity as subjects thought about brief stories about six types of love.
The study offers a detailed picture of the brain activity associated with different types of love than previous research.
Pärttyli Rinne, the philosopher and researcher who coordinated the study, said, “The activation pattern of love is generated in social situations in the basal ganglia, the midline of the forehead, the precuneus, and the temporoparietal junction at the sides of the back of the head.”
It was found that the love for one’s children generated the most intense brain activity, closely followed by romantic love.
Credit:
Pärttyli Rinne et al 2024, Aalto University.
Rinne said, “In parental love, there was activation deep in the brain’s reward system in the striatum area while imagining love, and this was not seen for any other kind of love. The study also included love for romantic partners, friends, strangers, pets, and nature.”
The research found that brain activity is affected by the closeness of the loved one and whether they are a human, another species, or nature. Compassionate love for strangers activates the brain less than love in close relationships. In contrast, love for nature lit up the brain’s reward and visual areas but did not engage the social areas.
The surprising finding was that brain areas linked to love between people were quite similar, differing mainly in activation intensity. With one exception, all types of interpersonal love-activated brain regions are related to social cognition, unlike love for pets or nature.
Subjects’ brain responses to a statement like the following, on average, revealed whether or not they shared their life with a furry friend:
“You are home lolling on the couch, and your pet cat pads over to you. The cat curls up next to you and purrs sleepily. You love your pet.”
Rinne said, “When looking at love for pets and the brain activity associated with it, brain areas associated with sociality statistically reveal whether or not the person is a pet owner. When it comes to the pet owners, these areas are more activated than with non-pet owners.”
To control for love-related brain activations, the study included neutral stories with minimal activity, like looking out a bus window or brushing your teeth. After hearing a professional actor perform each “love story,” participants imagined the associated emotion for ten seconds.
Understanding how love works in the brain can inform philosophical discussions about love, consciousness, and human connections. The researchers also hope their findings will improve mental health treatments for conditions like attachment disorders, depression, and relationship issues.
Journal Reference:
- Pärttyli Rinne, Juha M Lahnakoski, Heini Saarimäki, Mikke Tavast, Mikko Sams, Linda Henriksson. Six types of loves differentially recruit reward and social cognition brain areas. Cerebral Cortex. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae331
