Love can last – it’s a fact!

Published on October 21, 2013 at 14:43 / Updated on May 8, 2018 at 20:52

Finally a scientific study that gives hopeless romantics some hope! It appears that certain couples do manage to hold on to their passion and romance for decades. We now have scientific proof of it!

As part of a research study, long-time lovers underwent a medical imaging test that could analyze their brain activity when presented with various images, including a photo of their spouse, a close friend, a long-time acquaintance and a recent acquaintance. The participants also answered a series of questions on the importance of their spouse in their life and how their body responds when they’re close to each other.

When looking at a photo of their beloved, the brains of spouses married for over ten years lit up in the same way as those of newly-infatuated lovers. They weren’t faking it, either! The study participants were not only happy in their domestic life; they were also still very passionate despite having been married for an average of 21 years. These long-time lovers also said they still enjoyed a very active sex life.

However, “old couples” differed in at least one substantial way from younger ones: areas of the brain associated with anxiety and obsession lit up less during their medical imaging tests than in scans of new couples. Instead, brain areas associated with calmness were more active.

Since participants were measured only once, this study may suggest that it’s possible to fall in love again, rather than that it’s possible to maintain the feeling of new love continuously alive. Couples can go through phases where their degree of happiness may vary, but it seems possible that they can experience a relationship rebirth after years together.

The study involved a very small number of participants and the researchers may have been biased by an optimistic interpretation of their findings. Nevertheless, for once, a scientific study gives us hope for love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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