Acute partner loss enhances social motivation and nucleus accumbens dopamine release in prairie voles
Natsumi Komatsu, Alexis M. Black, Stephen E Song, Markita Patricia Landry, Annaliese K. Beery
This study shows that losing a partner increases social motivation and dopamine release in prairie voles, indicating rapid adaptation in reward circuits following social loss.
bioRxiv · Sep 24, 2026 · PreprintNeuroscience