Key Terms:
Afferent c-tactile neurons - neurons found in hairy skin that respond to light touch
Endorphins - neuropeptides with a painkilling effect
Neuropeptide - protein based substance used by neurons to communicate and send signals
Morphine - highly addictive painkilling opiate
Orbitofrontal cortex - area of the brain right above the eyes associated with reward
Amygdala - primary part of the brain in emotional response
Subcortical - under the cerebral cortex
Dopaminergic mesolimbic system - pathway of dopamine production and release throughout brain, including the amygdala
I’m sure a lot of us have heard someone say “My love language is physical touch,” and we’ll look at them weirdly and wonder why but move on quickly. A couple weeks ago my friend asked me (rhetorically, I think) why she liked hugs so much, so I decided to finally research why physical touch is so nice and pleasing to our brains. Using information from Robin Dunbar at Neuroscience News and the National Library of Medicine, I came to the conclusion that people like hugs so much because they stimulate the release of endorphins and dopamine in the brain.
It’ll be easiest to set this up with the context of where hugs and physical touch come from. It’s well known that humans evolved from primates, and our use of physical touch evolved with us. Primates typically groom each other by leafing through fur to find and pick out bugs. Our version of primate grooming is also known as cuddling. Cuddling comes with hugging and light stroking motions that activate the afferent c-tactile neurons found on hairy skin. These neurons send signals to the brain and stimulate the production of endorphins.
You might be wondering what endorphins are, exactly. The science-y answer is that endorphins are neuropeptides that have a painkilling effect. The painkilling effect is actually very similar to the effects of morphine, and it’s why people feel comforted when being hugged. They’re part of the pain control system in the body. There’s another answer from Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde” that I think sums them up pretty well: “Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” Basically, endorphins lead to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that lifts the mood.
Since I brought up the similarities of endorphins to morphine, I figure I should explain that. Morphine is a painkilling drug that affects the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, or the pathway of dopamine production and release to the brain. Some of the dopamine produced goes to the amygdala, which is the primary part of the brain used in emotional response to stimuli. When dopamine travels to the amygdala, you feel pleasant emotions, often having to do with the reward system. The reward system is associated with both liking something and wanting something. Liking is mostly a conscious thing that occurs after a decision based on feelings, while wanting, or desire, is mostly subconscious. Morphine has to do with wanting, as it is a “motivational magnet” and causes pleasant feelings. You may not like morphine, but its effects lead to that feeling of being rewarded, so you want it more. The more you use morphine, the more you want it, quickly becoming addicted.
Hugs, though, are more effective at dopamine and endorphin release than morphine. Statistics from Neuroscience News say that endorphins are thirty times more effective at painkilling than morphine, and are not dangerously addictive. Morphine also comes with negative effects like addiction, drowsiness, and nausea. So, after my research, I’ve come to the conclusion that hugs > morphine. Hopefully, you’re getting a healthy amount of hugs!
Sources:
Robin Dunbar. (2021, August 29). The Neuroscience of Why Hugs Feel So Good. Neuroscience News. https://neurosciencenews.com/hug-neuroscience-evolution-19214/
Šimić, G., Tkalčić, M., Vukić, V., Mulc, D., Španić, E., Šagud, M., Olucha-Bordonau, F. E., Vukšić, M., & R. Hof, P. (2021). Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala. Biomolecules, 11(6), 823. National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11060823
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