Neurobiology of Intimate Relationships

Abstract

The limbic brain appears to be the source of basic emotions and urges. In contrast the neocortex gives humans the ability to think in abstract and symbolic terms and to use language. Emotions by neural projections from the limbic system to neocortex influence all aspect of cognition, from perception to rational decision making. Although the cases whose intellectual and motor abilities appeared fully functional, decision making ability and emotional processing impaired together after a damage to the ventromedial prefrontal lobes suggest that the emotions had priority in the brain processing. The effectiveness of the psychotherapy is thought to be related to the left prefrontal cortex activity. The rational decisions are changing easily under the stressful moments and experiencing the same problems over and over again. This concept may explain why the couples under the stressful conditions may easily fall into radicalism, and decide that they are right but the others wrong. The specific kinds of conflict behaviors between couples like the criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling are correlated with the physical signs of the amygdala activation. For this reason, before the people to engage new forms of thought and behavior must notice and change the emotional processes. In the light of these concepts in addition the cognitive and behavioral approach, it would not be wrong to think that the therapy working with the emotional techniques will be more successful.

Keywords

• Intimate relationships
• neurobiology
• couples therapy