Neuroimaging of love in the twenty-first century.

S Cacioppo - 2019 - psycnet.apa.org
2019psycnet.apa.org
Neuroimaging of love is a growing field of research, which only recently has become the
topic of intensive and rigorous scientific investigations. This chapter focuses on the
neuroimaging technique most used by social neuroscientists investigating the human brain
network of love—functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Together these methods
offer unprecedented access to the human brain network of love during normal waking states.
A key challenge in the study of the neuroimaging of love resides, however, in determining�…
Abstract
Neuroimaging of love is a growing field of research, which only recently has become the topic of intensive and rigorous scientific investigations. This chapter focuses on the neuroimaging technique most used by social neuroscientists investigating the human brain network of love—functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Together these methods offer unprecedented access to the human brain network of love during normal waking states. A key challenge in the study of the neuroimaging of love resides, however, in determining how psychological states and processes map onto patterns of brain activity and also how this activity is modulated by social compositions and social behaviors. The integration of neuroimaging findings of love with standard approaches in couples therapy, such as emotionally focused couples therapy, might allow the development of new psychobiological models of the human sexual response and neurofeedback training. Combining knowledge from various disciplines that investigate the hard problem of salutary close relationship maintenance has the potential to answer age-old questions as to the nature and function of love. The better our understanding is of lasting salutary close relationships, the greater our respect is for the significance and potency of its role in mental and physical health.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
American Psychological Association