falling in love is an experience like none other emotions are high homes are sweaty and nothing is as it was before this is your brain on where we explore how the world affects our brains and ourselves a 2005 study was the first to analyze functional MRI images of the brains of people in love when looking at their romantic partners their brains lit up in regions associated with a reward center turns out that's because when we fall in love several neurotransmitters related to this reward system flood our brains making our emotions and our bodies go haywire
high levels of dopamine also known as the feel-good chemical activate a euphoria similar to what's produced by drugs like cocaine it's a lot for your body to handle this heightened emotion and the accompanying physical changes like a racing heart and increased blood pressure so our bodies send out cortisol the stress hormone to try to regulate these changes but as our cortisol levels increase it triggers a drop in the amount of serotonin it's a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in our mood appetite sleep attention judgment and more cue and fashion complete with its obsessive thoughts
and an inability to function as normal as stimulating as early love can be it's all a bit wild too but here's the good news this heady cocktail of dopamine cortisol and low serotonin generally levels out and things return to normal within one or two years but take heart that doesn't mean love fades it just takes a different form regulated by the other neurotransmitters like oxytocin that's released during sex and helps couples feel closer and increased levels of the hormone vasopressin boosts attachment and helps form a monogamous bond this is likely why the excitement of early
romantic love generally morphs into a calmer companion at love overtime [Music] hey NBC News viewers thanks for checking out our YouTube channel subscribe by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch the latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives thanks for watching
