愛情的力量堪稱神奇。美國(guó)研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，志愿者注視愛人照片時(shí),，忍受疼痛的能力顯著增強(qiáng),，真愛有助緩解疼痛。
加利福尼亞大學(xué)洛杉磯分校心理學(xué)副教授娜奧米·艾森伯格帶領(lǐng)研究小組,，征募17名處于長(zhǎng)期戀愛或婚姻關(guān)系中的女性志愿者進(jìn)行測(cè)試,。
研究人員對(duì)志愿者實(shí)施相同刺激，每次刺激后用1至20分衡量她們的疼痛感,，同時(shí)借助功能性磁共振成像技術(shù)（MRI）監(jiān)測(cè)志愿者大腦活動(dòng),。研究人員讓志愿者注視不同照片，照片內(nèi)容從伴侶,、陌生人到蜘蛛,、蛇等各不相同。結(jié)果顯示,，當(dāng)志愿者看到伴侶照片時(shí),，代表身體感受到疼痛程度的分?jǐn)?shù)顯著降低。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，志愿者注視伴侶照片時(shí),，大腦前額葉皮層活躍。與伴侶戀愛或結(jié)婚時(shí)間越長(zhǎng),，受伴侶支持越多,，這一區(qū)域活躍程度越高。
先前有研究顯示,，前額葉皮層與安全感相關(guān)，能夠抑制大腦對(duì)害怕和焦慮的反應(yīng),。加州大學(xué)洛杉磯分校研究人員在美國(guó)《國(guó)家科學(xué)院學(xué)報(bào)》（PNAS）發(fā)表論文說,，這一區(qū)域也能緩解疼痛。研究人員還發(fā)現(xiàn),，當(dāng)志愿者注視“另一半”照片時(shí),，負(fù)責(zé)壓力反應(yīng)的大腦背側(cè)前扣帶皮層欠活躍。
英國(guó)《每日郵報(bào)》7月6日援引艾森伯格的話報(bào)道：“我們發(fā)現(xiàn),，（戀愛或結(jié)婚）關(guān)系越久,，這一區(qū)域越不活躍。”她說,，蛇和蜘蛛的圖片可能產(chǎn)生相反作用,，因?yàn)樵谌祟愡M(jìn)化過程中，這類生物威脅著人類生存,。
先前美國(guó)斯坦福大學(xué)一項(xiàng)研究結(jié)果顯示,，注視伴侶照片或與伴侶牽手有助女性緩解疼痛。不過，這是研究人員首次發(fā)現(xiàn)大腦負(fù)責(zé)情感的區(qū)域,，有助了解情緒如何在大腦不同區(qū)域發(fā)揮作用,，大腦如何處理消極情緒。
至于戀愛或結(jié)婚時(shí)間越長(zhǎng),，疼痛感越弱的原因,，艾森伯格說，這或許因?yàn)闀r(shí)間越長(zhǎng),，伴侶給予的安全感可能越強(qiáng),。
“這顯示所愛之人對(duì)我們的影響有多大，僅僅是想著他們或看著他們的照片,，就可以緩解我們的疼痛感,，”她說。
艾森伯格說：“在實(shí)際運(yùn)用層面,，如果你在忍受疼痛或處在痛苦中,，讓愛人陪伴在旁或攜帶一張愛人照片或許能夠減輕痛苦。”（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences DOI： 10.1073/pnas.1108239108
Attachment figures activate a safety signal-related neural region and reduce pain experience
Eisenberger, Naomi I.; Master, Sarah L.; Inagaki, Tristen K.; Taylor, Shelley E.; Shirinyan, David; Lieberman, Matthew D.; Naliboff, Bruce D.
Although it has long been hypothesized that attachment figures provide individuals with a sense of safety and security, theneural mechanisms underlying attachment-induced safety have not been explored. Here, we investigated whether an attachmentfigure acts as a safety signal by exploring whether viewing an attachment figure during a threatening experience (physicalpain) led to increased activity in a neural region associated with safety signaling, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC),and corresponding reductions in pain. Female participants in long-term romantic relationships were scanned as they receivedpainful stimuli while viewing pictures of their partner and control images (stranger, object). Consistent with the idea thatthe attachment figure may signal safety, results revealed that viewing partner pictures while receiving painful stimulationled to reductions in self-reported pain ratings, reductions in pain-related neural activity (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex,anterior insula), and increased activity in the VMPFC. Moreover, greater VMPFC activity in response to partner pictures wasassociated with longer relationship lengths and greater perceived partner support, further highlighting a role for the VMPFCin responding to the safety value of the partner. Last, greater VMPFC activity while viewing partner pictures was associatedwith reduced pain ratings and reduced pain-related neural activity. An implication of these findings is that, in the sameway that stimuli that historically have threatened survival (e.g., snakes, spiders) are considered to be prepared fear stimuli,attachment figures, who have historically benefited survival, may serve as prepared safety stimuli, reducing threat- or distress-relatedresponding in their presence.
