Why we light up when we see a picture of our mum

Daily Mail, By DAILY MAIL REPORTER, 30th August 2010

She already holds a special place in your heart. But your mother also has a unique effect on your brain.

A glimpse of a mother's face excites brain cells more than pictures of other people, from celebrities to fathers, a study shows.

It is thought the intricate bonding process that takes place in the first months and years of life ensures that a mother is never far from a child's mind, even years later.

Light of your life: The new study has shown that people's brains 'light up' when they see an image of their mother

In one test, Canadian researchers measured the brain activity of volunteers as they were shown photographs of their parents, strangers and celebrities.

Images of a person's mother 'lit up' areas key to recognition and emotion. Fathers produced a lower response, followed by celebrities and, finally, strangers, the journal Brain and Cognition reports.

Toronto University researcher Dr Marie Arsalidou said: 'The fact that this activation is even seen in adults who have lived away from their parents for many years does suggest that it is a long-term effect.'

Meanwhile, a U.S. study found the sound of a mother's voice calms frayed nerves - with a phone call as soothing as a hug.

It looked at the role of oxytocin, a hormone that is known to play a role in the mother-baby bond.

The researchers at the University of Wisconsin- Madison made a group of seven to 12-year-old girls do a speech and solve a series of maths problems in front of strangers, which made them stressed.

A third were then comforted in person by their mother, a third spoke to their mother on the phone and the rest given a film to watch.

Levels of oxytocin rose quickly in those who saw or spoke to their mothers, and, to the scientists' surprise, within an hour, the girls who phoned their mothers were just as calm as those who were comforted in person.

Researcher Leslie Seltzer said: 'It's clear from these results that a mother's voice can have the same effect as a hug, even if they're not standing there.'