Love songs may tell you that getting over a breakup is hard, but science may offer a ray of hope. Guardian It is suggested that using a headset could help mend a broken heart in a painless process.
The research focused on a condition called love trauma syndrome (LTS), in which a romantic separation is followed by intense emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts.
The study involved 36 volunteers with LTS. They were divided into three groups and wore transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) headsets for 20 minutes twice a day for five days. These headsets deliver mild electrical current to specific areas of the brain.
According to The Guardian reportsThe current target in one group was the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), in another the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), while the third group received no stimulation (placebo). Both target areas play a role in regulating emotions.
Studies show there's a possible connection between breakups and grief in the brain, with a specific prefrontal region being involved in processing the emotional pain of both experiences.
Although more research is needed, this preliminary study offers promising results for those struggling with the aftermath of a breakup.
Study published in Journal of Psychiatric Researchconcluded that for LTS symptoms, DLPFC stimulation was more efficient than VLPFC stimulation.
Researchers from Iran's Zanjan University and Germany's Bielefeld University concluded that “both the DLPFC and VLPFC protocols significantly reduced LTS symptoms after intervention and improved depressive status and anxiety,” compared with the sham group. “The improvement effect of the DLPFC protocol on love trauma syndrome was significantly larger than that of the VLPFC protocol.”
Even a month after treatment was stopped, the volunteers felt better. “These promising results need to be replicated in larger trials,” the study authors said.
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