The power of words has been confirmed, with new experiments showing the human brain releases chemicals based on language, just as it does for physical experiences.
An international study, led by Virginia Tech scientists, found neurotransmitters in the brain were released during the processing of the emotional content of language.
Computational neuroscientist Read Montague said the study bridged the biological and the symbolic, linking neural processes to the richness of human communication and emotion.
“The common belief about brain chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, is that they send out signals related to the positive or negative value of experiences,” Dr Montague said.
“Our findings suggest that these chemicals are released in specific areas of the brain when we process the emotional meaning of words.
“More broadly, our research supports the idea that the brain systems that evolved to help us react to good or bad things in our environment might also play a role in how we process words, which are just as important for our survival.”
He said the findings offered a deeper understanding into how language influenced human choices and mental health.
Read the full study: Emotional words evoke region- and valence-specific patterns of concurrent neuromodulator release in human thalamus and cortex.
