Our moms have been there for everything from watching us take our first steps to helping us transition into womanhood and motherhood ourselves. And even though they've endured a few angsty teenage door-slams, the bond between mother and daughter stands the test of time. In fact, scientists say it's the strongest.
In a study done to figure out why depression and other mood disorders seem to be commonly passed on from moms to their girls, scientists performed MRI scans on 35 healthy families and found that mother and daughter have similar anatomy when it comes to the part of the brain that regulates emotions.
"This association was significantly greater than mother–son, father–daughter, and father–son associations," said researchers in The Journal of Neuroscience. This means that women are more likely to understand and relate to the emotions of their mothers than anyone else, and vice versa. The next time you're having a rough day, you might want to call up the one who (probably!) best understands what you're going through.
And if you've ever felt like you're turning into your mother, you now have science backing you up. "We joke about inheriting stubbornness or organization—but we've never actually seen that in human brain networks before," lead author Fumiko Hoeft from University of California tells Scientific American. "[This research] was a proof of impact."
(h/t Southern Living)
Courtney (she/hers) has spent the past 5 years testing everything from reusable straws to standing desks to homemade kombucha kits. A longtime reviewer, deals hunter, and lifestyle writer, she currently heads up the American Kennel Club's product review site Retrievest and previously worked as the Shopping Editor for USA Today’s Reviewed. Additionally, she has covered design and lifestyle trends for Apartment Therapy, Domino, SELF, and more. A graduate of Elon University, she loves telling everyone about what race she’s planning on running next while raving about her favorite running headphones (they’re bone conducting!).
