The brain activity of 17 women was measured by an MRI as they received painful shocks to their forearm while looking at each of the three photos. The women reported feeling less pain when viewing the photo of their beloved.
Moreover, when the women viewed the photo of the romantic partner, the MRI scan showed less activity in some pain-related regions of their brains. It also showed more activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain plays a role in signaling safety and reducing distress.
Read the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences report on pain.
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