Sex is the key to a happy relationship, science is proving with new research.

Specifically, research reveals that orgasms affect brain function in ways that encourage long-term bonding.

A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory mapped the brains of male and female rodents during the three stages of their relationship: mating, bonding, and “ongoing bond maintenance.”

They found that during these stages, 68 different brain regions underwent significant changes, forming new connections.

Both members of the pair showed similar brain changes, and the biggest changes appeared to occur when the male had an orgasm. This could mean that orgasms promote connection beyond sex, which scientists believe is true for humans as well.

These changes could reflect evolutionary adaptations that increase the chances of relationship survival, as a connected couple will have a better chance of successfully raising their children.

“Brain and behavioral data suggest that both sexes may have orgasm-like responses, and these ‘orgasms’ coordinate the formation of a bond,” said study author Steven Phelps, professor of biology at UT Austin.

“If true, it would imply that orgasms can serve as a means to promote bonding, as has long been suggested in humans,” he pointed out.

The researcher saw that the most important predictor of these changes was male orgasm, which appeared to affect brain changes in both men and women.

In other words, the more orgasms a man has, the deeper the reconnection of his and his partner’s brain was. In the same study, it was not recorded when or if the females had an orgasm.

The study used a species of rodent that provides great scientific insight into how the brain handles sex and love.

These small, North American rodents form lifelong pairs, so scientists use them to study the neuroscience and behavior of monogamy.

Of course, not all people are monogamous.

However, studies have shown that both rodents and humans release oxytocin, which has been called “the love hormone” for its role in bonding, both between romantic partners and between mother and child.

In the new study, the scientists started with rodents that had never been mated to ensure their brains were sexually white.

After injecting the females with a hormone to ensure they were in estrus, the scientists proceeded to mate them with males.

About 200 rodents were mated and the scientists observed their behavior carefully, recording everything the animals did. When they were about 10 weeks old, they were euthanized and the researchers preserved their brains.

They mapped all the connections in them and then did statistical analysis to link their behavior to what they observed in the brain.

Previous research has shown that sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, which are not the same between men and women, play an important role in bonding and sex.

However, what they found was that many areas that changed during mating were not known before.
In fact, they identified 68 brain regions that had formed new connections during the pair’s mating process.