Cited by 353Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorOlfactory and Sensory Function Studies

The neural mechanisms and circuitry of the pair bond

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Walum, Hasse, Young, Larry J.·2018·Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Abstract

Love is one of our most powerful emotions, inspiring some of the greatest art, literature and conquests of human history. Although aspects of love are surely unique to our species, human romantic relationships are displays of a mating system characterized by pair bonding, likely built on ancient foundational neural mechanisms governing individual recognition, social reward, territorial behaviour and maternal nurturing. Studies in monogamous prairie voles and mice have revealed precise neural mechanisms regulating processes essential for the pair bond. Here, we discuss current viewpoints on the biology underlying pair bond formation, its maintenance and associated behaviours from neural and evolutionary perspectives.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41583-018-0072-6

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  • Much of the understanding of neural mechanisms responsible for pair bonding comes from studies in prairie voles.

    “Much of our understanding of neural mechanisms responsible for pair bonding comes from studies in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), a socially monogamous rodent.”
  • Oxytocin promotes prosocial behavior, bonding, and the saliency of social cues in humans and other mammals.

    “Research in humans and in other mammals demonstrates a role for OT in promoting prosocial behavior, bonding, and the saliency of social cues [9,23,24].”
  • Prairie voles form enduring pair bonds with an opposite-sex partner and exhibit biparental care for their offspring.

    “In the past few decades, prairie voles have emerged as a model species for understanding monogamous mating strategies and complex social relationships as they form enduring pair bonds with an opposite-sex partner and exhibit biparental care for their offspring [4,9,62].”
  • Oxytocin in the anterior olfactory nucleus facilitates an increased inhibitory tone in the main olfactory bulb, resulting in a greater signal-to-noise ratio for odors associated with social interactions.

    “OT in the AON facilitates an increased inhibitory tone in the main olfactory bulb (MOB), resulting in a greater signal-to-noise ratio for odors associated with social interactions and subsequently leading to a higher quality signal being transmitted to downstream regions [9,88].”
  • Activation of D1Rs inhibits pair bond formation and activation of D2Rs stimulates pair bonding.

    “Interestingly, the effects of DA 1-type receptors (D1R) and DA 2-type receptors (DA2R) on bonding are opposing, with the activation of D1Rs inhibiting pair bond formation and the activation of D2Rs stimulating pair bonding [9,141].”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [23]Burbach P, Young LJ & Russell J in Knobilan Neill’s Physiology of Reproduction (ed. Neill JD) 3055– 3127 (Elsevier, 2006).

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Authors
Walum, H., & Young, L. J.
Affiliations
  • Emory University (US)
  • University of Tsukuba (JP)
Corresponding author
Young, Larry J.
Venue
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Published
2018-10-09
Volume
19
Issue
11
Pages
643-654
ISSN
  • 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0048
OpenAlex
W2896038646
Cited by
353
References
136
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 4
FWCI
5.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (P51OD011132)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH112788, R01MH096983, P50MH100023)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Keywords
pair bond, monogamy, Microtus ochrogaster, mice, social reward, individual recognition, territoriality, neural circuits, mating system evolution, romantic relationships, love
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Dopamine, Biological Evolution, Humans, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Oxytocin, Pair Bond, Sexual Behavior, Social Behavior, Species Specificity, Vasopressins

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