Neurochemistry of Love: Molecular Mechanisms of Human Attachment and Relationship Dynamics

Human attachment and romantic love are complicated biopsychosocial processes, which have evolved to support pair-bonding, reproduction, and survival of offspring. This review analyses the neurochemical basis of romantic attachment in three different phases, which are attraction, romantic love, and long-term attachment, although they overlap. The neo-neuroimaging and neo-endocrine data have shown that the emotional and behavioural expression of human bonding is coordinated by particular neurotransmitter systems, such as dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin. The paper summarizes the existing knowledge on the impact of these molecular mechanisms on relationship formation, maintenance, and dissolution and addresses the topic of individual differences in attachment patterns and their neurobiological correlates. The neurochemical knowledge of love can be used in clinical therapy of relationship dysfunction, attachment disorders, or in the general understanding of human social behaviour.