Study: Happy Marriage Calms Nerves

News
By published
The Downside to Virginity Pledges

When things get rough, a hand to hold can be comforting—especially if it's the hand of marriage. A new study finds that women in a threatening situation show signs of immediate relief, as revealed in brain scans, when holding their husband’s hand.

“This is the first study of the neurological reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first study to measure how the brain facilitates the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships,” said study author James Coan, a neuroscientist at the University of Virginia.

Coan conducted a study of 16 married women who were subjected to a mild electric shock while holding their husband’s hand, a stranger’s hand, or no hand at all.

MRI scans of the womens' brains showed a large decrease in the brain response to threat when the women held their spouse’s hand, and a limited decrease when holding a stranger’s hand.

Coan also had the couples rate their satisfaction with their marriages, and found the largest decrease in threat-related brain activity for women in the highest quality marriages.

This drop in threat-related activity included a decrease in the emotional component of the brain’s pain processing circuits.

The study was published in the December 2006 issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.