On Wednesday, scientists revealed that a  brain chemical played an important role in dealing with losing or separating from someone, stating that the discovery might lead to some new treatment for depression patients.

The team that conducted the tests comprised Oliver Bosch of the University of Regensburg in Germany, his colleagues and researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, who studied brain activity in prairie voles, a type of rodent that can be found in central North America.

Scientists chose the prairie voles due to the fact that they are known to create long-lasting bonds with their mates.

They separated the mammals either from their partners or their siblings and then monitored their anxiety and depression levels. Results showed that after four days, the separated voles exhibited higher anxiety levels, but that depression only developed in those that had lost a mate.

Their behavior proved to be lethargic and passive, as they did not try to swim when scientists put them in a pool of water and they did not struggle while researchers kept them suspended by their tails.

Moreover, the tests showed that the levels of a brain chemical called corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), a neurotransmitter involved in the stress response, were higher in voles that had formed a tight bond with their partners.

The group of rodents that had been given a compound to prevent the brain from receiving signals coming from the chemical did not experience the aforementioned symptoms.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and other research organizations and the researchers’ findings were published in the Neuropsychopharmacology journal.