The early stages of a new romantic relationship are characterized by intense feelings of
euphoria, well-being, and preoccupation with the romantic partner. Neuroimaging research�…

Early-stage romantic love can induce euphoria, is a cross-cultural phenomenon, and is
possibly a developed form of a mammalian drive to pursue preferred mates. It has an�…

Pain is modulated by social context. Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that romantic
partners can provide a potent form of social support during pain. However, such studies�…

Supportive touch has remarkable benefits in childbirth and during painful medical
procedures. But does social touch influence pain neurophysiology, ie, the brain processes�…

Recent human functional imaging studies have linked the processing of pleasant visual
stimuli to activity in mesolimbic reward structures. However, whether the activation is driven�…

This study was designed to examine the effect of emotion on the nociceptive flexion reflex
and pain ratings. To do so, 28 participants viewed pictures varying in emotional valence�…

The present study examined the neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love using
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Ten women and 7 men married an average�…

Pleasurable stimuli, including reward, inhibit pain, but the level of the neuraxis at which they
do so and the cerebral processes involved are unknown. Here, we characterized a brain�…

Being in a close relationship is essential to human existence. Such closeness can be
described as including other in the self and be underpinned on social attachment system�…

We review recent neuroimaging research on the experiences of romantic love and sexual
desire, focusing specifically on the question of links and distinctions between the brain�…