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Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love
Open accessAbstract
The present study examined the neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Ten women and 7 men married an average of 21.4 years underwent fMRI while viewing facial images of their partner. Control images included a highly familiar acquaintance; a close, long-term friend; and a low-familiar person. Effects specific to the intensely loved, long-term partner were found in: (i) areas of the dopamine-rich reward and basal ganglia system, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dorsal striatum, consistent with results from early-stage romantic love studies; and (ii) several regions implicated in maternal attachment, such as the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra, Raphe nucleus, thalamus, insular cortex, anterior cingulate and posterior cingulate. Correlations of neural activity in regions of interest with widely used questionnaires showed: (i) VTA and caudate responses correlated with romantic love scores and inclusion of other in the self; (ii) GP responses correlated with friendship-based love scores; (iii) hypothalamus and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with sexual frequency; and (iv) caudate, septum/fornix, posterior cingulate and posterior hippocampus responses correlated with obsession. Overall, results suggest that for some individuals the reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love, but also involves brain systems implicated in attachment and pair-bonding.
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In the citing paper
“Importantly, three different phases in romantic relationships have been defined that share common biological substrates but also involve different brain systems (11,35,36).”
From Oxytocin enhances brain reward system responses in men viewing the face of their female partner (2013) · cites this paper as [11]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Additionally, the CP is activated in humans when viewing the faces of loved ones, and this activation is correlated with romantic love and passion scores (Bartels and Zeki 2000; Aron et al 2005; Acevedo et al 2012).”
From The behavioral, anatomical and pharmacological parallels between social attachment, love and addiction (2012) · cites this paper as Acevedo et al 2012
In the citing paper
“Neuroimaging studies showed that brain regions implicated in feelings of reward, such as the VTA, NAcc, and caudate that were previously documented in pair bond formation in animal species, are activated during the perception of romantic partner’s face (Acevedo et al. 2012; Aron et al. 2005; Bartels and Zeki 2000; Scheele et al. 2013).”
From A precision medicine approach to oxytocin trials (2017) · cites this paper as Acevedo et al. 2012
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BackgroundA Phenomenological Study of Falling Out of Romantic Love
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BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialDo You Pursue Your Heart or Your Art? Creativity, Personality, and Love
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“However, it is difficult to sustain high passion over the long term, and relationships are most likely to endure when they develop commitment or a long-term attachment (Acevedo et al., 2012).”
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Love is a physiological motivation (like hunger, thirst, sleep or sex)
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BackgroundDecreased lymphocyte dopamine transporter in romantic lovers
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Resting state brain networks in the prairie vole
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Romance Scams: Romantic Imagery and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
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“…to determine other people’s emotions and intentions) (Gallagher and Frith, 2003), facial expression recognition (Winston et al., 2002), and have been reported in several functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies of lovers (Aron et al., 2005; Xu et al., 2011; Acevedo et al., 2012).”
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“O’Leary et al. (2012) as well as Acevedo et al. (2012) found that when married couples were asked how intense is their love for their 30-or 40-year partner, 40% reported that they felt intense love for their romantic partner.”
BackgroundMorphological Features of Human Dendritic Spines
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“To reduce any carry-over effects, subjects performed a count-back task for 30 s between the pictures [Aron et al., 2005; Acevedo et al., 2012].”
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Partners’ Daily Love and Desire as Predictors of Engagement in and Enjoyment of Sexual Activity
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“Other previous studies examining areas of the brain and hormones involved in romantic love and sexual desire also support that these processes are separate but interconnected (e.g., Acevedo et al., 2012; Cacioppo et al., 2012; Diamond & Dickenson, 2012; Gonzaga et al., 2006).”
BackgroundThe Neurobiology of Affiliation; Maternal-Infant Bonding to Life Within Social Groups
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“5 These are mesocorticolimbic regions which use the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) to control sensations of pleasure, attachment and reward as well as emotional pain.”
BackgroundSexueller Missbrauch von Kindern: Ursachen und Verursacher
Kuhle, L. F., Grundmann, D., & Beier, K. M. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44244-9_11 · Cited by 16
Clinical assessment of sensory processing sensitivity
Aron, E. N. (2020) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818251-2.00006-0 · Cited by 13
Implicit Affiliation Motive Predicts Correct Intuitive Judgment
Quirin, M., Düsing, R., & Kühl, J. (2013) · Journal of Individual Differences · doi:10.1027/1614-0001/a000086 · Cited by 13
Duarte, I. C., Brito‐Costa, S., Cayolla, R. R., & Castelo-Branco, M. S. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-30611-6 · Cited by 13
Feasibility of functional neuroimaging to understand adolescent women's sexual decision making
Hensel, D. J., Hummer, T. A., Acrurio, L. R., James, T. W., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2015) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.11.004 · Cited by 12
“The ACC has also been implicated in a neural network regulating love and sexual desire [21], with higher activation in response to romantic partners, particularly as relationships progress [19,20], but this has not been studied in adolescent women.”
Fiske, A. P., Schubert, T. W., & Seibt, B. (2024) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-020124-023338 · Cited by 13
Ghahari, S., Farahani, N., Fatemizadeh, E., & Nasrabadi, A. M. (2020) · Cognitive Neurodynamics · doi:10.1007/s11571-020-09579-5 · Cited by 13
Rinne, P., Tavast, M., Glerean, E., & Sams, M. E. (2023) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2023.2252464 · Cited by 12
“Cognitive neuroscientists have also studied mainly romantic love (Acevedo et al., 2012; Aron et al., 2005; Bartels & Zeki, 2000; de Boer et al., 2012; Esch & Stefano, 2005b; Fisher et al., 2005; Ortigue et al., 2007; Scheele et al., 2013) and maternal love (Bartels & Zeki, 2004; Esch & Stefano,…”
Reverse Correlating Love: Highly Passionate Women Idealize Their Partner’s Facial Appearance
Günaydın, G., & DeLong, J. E. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121094 · Cited by 12
Assessing passionate love: Italian validation of the PLS (reduced version)
Aghedu, F. C., Veneziani, C. A., Manari, T., Feybesse, C., & Bisiacchi, P. S. (2018) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2018.1442570 · Cited by 15
Watanuki, S., & Akama, H. (2020) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.534671 · Cited by 15
Aghedu, F. C., Sarlo, M., Zappasodi, F., Acevedo, B. P., & Bisiacchi, P. S. (2021) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105733 · Cited by 13
Self-citationRoels, R., Rehman, U. S., Carter, C. S., Pournajafi‐Nazarloo, H., & Janssen, E. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105265 · Cited by 12
Neural Representations of the Committed Romantic Partner in the Nucleus Accumbens
Ueda, R., & Abe, N. (2021) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/09567976211021854 · Cited by 12
“The classification approach used in the present study allowed us to clarify unique neural representations in the NAcc related to the romantic partner, which could extend previous findings on the neural basis for emotional bonding with the partner, identified using conventional univariate fMRI (Acevedo et al., 2012; Fi…”
BackgroundNeural Correlates of Human Attachment: Evidence from fMRI Studies of Adult Pair-Bonding
Acevedo, B. P. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-9622-9_9 · Cited by 13
“sults from numerous studies of maternal attachment (Acevedo et al. 2011).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationTiedt, H. O., Beier, K. M., Lueschow, A., Pauls, A., & Weber, J. E. (2014) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.09.014 · Cited by 12
Why Do Humans Help Their Friends? Proximal and Ultimate Hypotheses from Evolutionary Theory
Hruschka, D. J., Hackman, J., & Macfarlan, S. J. (2015) · Evolutionary psychology · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-12697-5_20 · Cited by 12
Han, Y., Luo, Y., Chen, Z., Gao, N., Song, Y., & Liu, S. (2024) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-024-02665-7 · Cited by 11
“Studies by Acevedo et al. (2012) and Bartels and Zeki (2004) have shown that regions associated with reward processing, such as the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, are involved in the experience of romantic love.”
RetractedOn the neural networks of self and other bias and their role in emergent social interactions
Forbes, C. E. (2024) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.05.002 · Cited by 11
Wong, N. M. L., Shao, R., Yeung, P., Khong, P., Hui, E. S. K., Schooling, C. M., Leung, G. M., & Lee, T. M. C. (2019) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.09.028 · Cited by 11
“In addition, the role of the caudate nucleus is part of the reward circuitry in processing social rewards (Acevedo et al., 2012).”
BackgroundMatyjek, M., Bayer, M., & Dziobek, I. (2023) · NeuroImage Clinical · doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103442 · Cited by 15
The Speed of Passionate Love, As a Subliminal Prime: A High-Density Electrical Neuroimaging Study
Cacioppo, S., Grafton, S. T., & Bianchi-Demicheli, F. (2012) · NeuroQuantology · doi:10.14704/nq.2012.10.4.509 · Cited by 11
Burunat, E. (2016) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2016.714173 · Cited by 14
Marazziti, D., & Stahl, S. M. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1097/jcp.0000000000000808 · Cited by 11
“Such a physiological form of OCD is considered essential to maintain the focus on the partner and not to shift attention (and therefore resources) toward others.(6,7) The present article reports the case of a young healthy adult who, every time that he falls in love, suffers from a fullblown OCD.”
BackgroundSlow Love: Courtship in the Digital Age
Fisher, H. E., & Garcia, J. R. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108658225.011 · Cited by 11
Self-citationFreeman, H., Scholl, J. L., AnisAbdellatif, M., Gnimpiéba, E. Z., Forster, G. L., & Jacob, S. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105415 · Cited by 11
The Neuroendocrine Regulation of Reproductive Behavior and Emotional Control by Kisspeptin
Mills, E., Tsoutsouki, J., Pierret, A. C. S., Comninos, A. N., & Dhillo, W. S. (2025) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaf055 · Cited by 12
“…administration to healthy young men selectively enhanced fMRI limbic brain activity in regions associated with romantic love (globus pallidus and thalamus) (60, 89) and bonding (amygdala) (89), without affecting circulating levels of other important hormones (including oxytocin and cortisol) (72).”
Neural responses to instructed positive couple interaction: an fMRI study on compliment sharing
Eckstein, M., Stößel, G., Gerchen, M. F., Bilek, E., Kirsch, P., & Ditzen, B. (2023) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsad005 · Cited by 11
“In summary, by using a somewhat naturalistic interaction paradigm, the present study design builds on previous research on reward-related brain activation in romantic couples such seeing as pictures from the partner (Acevedo et al., 2012) and extends existing data to a more”
BackgroundMethodLeBlanc, N. J., Simon, N. M., Reynolds, C. F., Shear, M. K., Skritskaya, N. A., & Zisook, S. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813333-0.00020-2 · Cited by 10
Hatfield, E. C., Rapson, R. L., & Purvis, J. (2020) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190647162.001.0001 · Cited by 18
Song, H., Zhang, Y., Zuo, L., Chen, X., Cao, G., Uquillas, F. D., & Zhang, X. (2019) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00526 · Cited by 10
Metadata
- Authors
- Acevedo, B. P., Aron, A., Fisher, H. E., & Brown, L. L.
- Affiliations
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Venue
- Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2011-01-05
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 145-159
- ISSN
- 1749-5016 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-5024
- PMC
- PMC3277362
- OpenAlex
- W2011594069
- Cited by
- 441
- References
- 103
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 24.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Stony Brook University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- romantic love, neural correlates, ventral tegmental area, caudate nucleus, reward systems, maternal attachment, pair bonding, sexual frequency, obsession, self-inclusion
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Brain, Brain Mapping, Dopamine, Emotions, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Love, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Obsessive Behavior, Reward, Sexual Behavior, Ventral Tegmental Area
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