New study decodes how sex and intimacy rewires brain

A team of researchers has created the first brainwide map of brain regions to understand how sex relates to lasting loveThey created the map of brain regions active in prairie voles a small Midwestern rodent during mating and pair bondingPrairie voles are one of the few mammals known to form longterm monogamous relationshipsThe researchers from The University of Texas at Austin found that bonding voles experience a storm of brain activity distributed across 68 distinct brain regions that make up seven brainwide circuitsThe brain activity correlates with three stages of behaviour mating bonding and the emergence of a stable enduring bondMost of these brain regions the researchers identified were not previously associated with bonding so the map reveals new places to look in the human brain to understand how we form and maintain close relationshipsEarlier studies concluded that male and female brains often use fundamentally different mechanisms to produce the same behaviours such as mating and nurturing offspringBut in this study bonding males and females had nearly identical patterns of brain activityThat was a surprise said Steven Phelps Professor of integrative biology at UT AustinSex hormones like testosterone oestrogen and progesterone are important for sexual aggressive and parental behaviours so the prevailing hypothesis was that brain activity during mating and bonding would also be different between the sexes he added in the study published in the journal eLifeThe researchers were able to pinpoint with high resolution which brain cells were active in vole brains at various points over the course of the process that leads to and includes bondingThis is the first time such a method has been applied to prairie volesBy studying more than 200 prairie voles across multiple times during mating and bonding the researchers produced an unprecedented and foundational data setThe strongest predictor of activity across the 68 brain regions that the researchers identified surprised themIt was male ejaculation suggesting the experience elicits a profound emotional state and not only in the affected malesFemales too had more bondingrelated brain activity with males who reached that milestoneThe brain and behaviour data suggest that both sexes may be having orgasmlike responses and these orgasms coordinate the formation of a bond Phelps saidIf true it would imply that orgasms can serve as a means to promote connection as has long been suggested in humansThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever