Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 22/02/2013 15:57:27
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Is it possible successful long term relationships may be down to people simply being addicted to each other?
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Visit the webpage for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/neuroscience/show/20130220/)
[chapter podcast=1000194 track=13.02.20/Naked_Neuroscience_13.02.20_1000449.mp3](https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Ftypo3conf%2Fext%2Fnaksci_podcast%2Fgnome-settings-sound.gif&hash=f2b0d108dc173aeaa367f8db2e2171bd) ...or Listen to the Answer[/chapter] or [download as MP3] (http://nakeddiscovery.com/downloads/split_individual/13.02.20/Naked_Neuroscience_13.02.20_1000449.mp3)
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We answered this question on the show...
Hannah - Earlier Alex mentioned another brain chemical involved in love - dopamine.
We know that dopamine, as well as being involved in reward is very frequently involved in addiction. So, if love brings on a rush of dopamine to particular areas of the brain, is it possible successful long term relationships may be down to people simply being addicted to each other?
Well, a study by Bianca Acevedo and colleagues in 2012 showed that [img float=right]/forum/copies/RTEmagicC_800px-Closeup_of_an_blue-green_human_eye_04.jpeg.jpeg[/img]people who, after 21 years of marriage, and still very very happily in love, when shown pictures of their other halves had areas of the brain lighting up in a pattern resembling drug addiction.
So, it really could be that those that stay in love are just addicted to one another! Romantic, in some sense, I suppose.