Greatest Discovery Technology: Scientists have found a brain center for love

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Scientists have found a brain center for love – TASS

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. American scientists have managed to “highlight” in the brain of mice small cluster sensitive to hormones, neurons, which are responsible for the formation of interest to members of the opposite sex.

the study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

“These neurons mainly take sensory and hormonal signals and broadcast them in a reasoned social behavior,” – said the head of research Garrett, Stuber from Medical school at the University of North Carolina. His words are in the press release of the University.

the Object of the study was preoptičeskoj medial region of the hypothalamus of the mouse brain. First, the researchers studied the signals that this area sends the ventral region of tyre of the midbrain that produces the neurotransmitter dopamine and involved in the formation of dependencies. It turned out that took the signals from the neurons of the tire in most of them also Express estrogen receptors and therefore may be sensitive to cyclical changes of hormones produced by the ovaries of the mouse, the so-called cycle of estrus.

the researchers Then conducted experiments on live mice. It turned out that is the female test subjects to smell the urine of male, in her brain there is a significant excitation of neurons of the medial preoptičeskoj area. It was stronger when in blood of the females was a lot of estrogen or estrogen in combination with progesterone, that usually happens when a juvenile enters into a Mature age.

“On this basis, we make the assumption that some neurons in the brain may specialize in obtaining social rewards non-social to bypass. To the processing of social cues is strongly influenced by circulating hormones,” notes study co-author Jenna McHenry.

Using optogenetics, that is, introducing into the brain of animals with special channels that respond to excitation light, the scientists were able to artificially stimulate the neural activity of the medial preoptičeskoj area, which led to the release of dopamine. After such interference on the part of people, both male and female mice showed a greater interest in the opposite sex than other rodents, which does not stimulate.

“overall, our findings suggest that neurons of the medial preoptičeskoj area help to create a mechanism of social attraction to a potential partner,” sums up Stuber.

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