Publication: Love As A Modulator Of Pain
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Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Pain is modulated by various factors, the most notable of which is emotions. Since love is an emotion, it can also modulate pain. The answer to the question of whether it enhances or reduces pain needs to be determined. A review was conducted of animal and human studies in which this enigmatic emotion and its interaction with pain was explored. Recent advances in neuroimaging have revealed similarities in brain activation relating to love and pain. At the simplest level, this interaction can be explained by the overlapping network structure in brain functional connectivity, although the explanation is considerably more complex. The effect of love can either result in increased or decreased pain perception. An explanation of the interaction between pain and love relates to the functional connectivity of the brain and to the psychological construct of the individual, as well as to his or her ability to engage resources relating to emotion regulation. In turn, this determines how a person relates to love and reacts to pain.
Description
Volume 24, No. 3
Keywords
emotion; love; neuroimaging; pain; reward
Citation
: Tamam S, Ahmad AH. Love as a modulator of pain. Malays J Med Sci. 2017;24(3):5–14. https:// doi.org/10.21315/mjms2017.24.3.2