First brain-wide map in prairie vole research shows orgasms ‘rewire’ the brain

Amid ongoing research on a small Midwestern rodent called the prairie vole, scientists stumbled upon a fascinating finding based on the study of the first comprehensive brain map detailing the regions activated in the mammal during mating and pair bonding.

About the study

The findings of the study conducted on these small Midwestern rodents, known for forming long-term monogamous relationships, were published in the journal eLife. The research sought to answer the question – how does sex relate to lasting love?

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Scientists paired up more than 200 voles under various conditions to monitor the progression from initial interactions to the establishment of a stable pair bond. This so-called bonding experience includes several stages like mating, bonding, and the development of a stable, enduring bond.

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What did the study find?

Researchers found that the bonding voles experience a firestorm of brain activity distributed across 68 distinct regions of the brain which make up seven brain-wide circuits. They also noted that the brain-wide map also showed activity in regions which were not previously associated with bonding.

Prairie voles are a species whose social and mating behaviours closely resemble those of humans in the context of monogamy and long-term bonding. Therefore, the new findings can help researchers look at new places to explore the human brain to understand how we form and maintain close relationships.

It was previously established that male and female brains often use fundamentally different mechanisms to produce the same behaviours like mating and nurturing offspring.

However, the new study shows one significant difference which is that the bonding males and females had nearly identical patterns of brain activity.

“That was a surprise,” said Steven Phelps, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and senior author of the study.

The finding also changed the prevailing hypothesis that sex differences, influenced by hormones like testosterone, oestrogen, and progesterone, would lead to different neural pathways for bonding in males and females.

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According to the study, male ejaculation served as the strongest predictor of neural activity across the 68 brain regions associated with bonding.

It was also found this was not just limited to males as females exhibited increased bonding-related brain activity when paired with males who reached this milestone.

“The brain and behaviour data suggest that both sexes may be having orgasm-like responses, and these ‘orgasms’ coordinate the formation of a bond,” said Phelps.

He added, “If true, it would imply that orgasms can serve as a means to promote connection, as has long been suggested in humans.”

(With inputs from agencies)