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The intense stage at the beginning of a relationship isn't only something people describe subjectively.
In a Stanford experiment, researchers studied 15 people within the first nine months of a romantic relationship.
While experiencing controlled pain, participants looked at photographs of their partners.
The resulting pain reduction was associated with activity in brain regions involved in reward processing.
The researchers described the findings as evidence that non-drug activation of reward systems can influence pain experience.
The person who gives you “butterflies” may be interacting with brain systems involved in experiences far beyond romance.
© PLOS ONE — Stanford University School of Medicine