Bonding with a mate changes brain chemistry, researchers find

Voles who became separated from a mate produced higher levels of a chemical that has been linked to depression. Losing a partner 'has a dramatic impact on the brain,' one of the study's authors says. Working with mouse-like rodents called prairie voles, scientists have found that close monogamous relationships alter the chemistry of the brain, fostering the release of a compound that builds loyalty, but also plays a role in depression during times of separation.

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