Broken Hearted? A Zap to the Brain Could Help, Study Says

Love songs might tell you getting over a breakup is hard to do, but science may be offering a glimmer of hope. A new report published in The Guardian suggests a painless procedure using a headset could help mend a broken heart.

The research focused on a condition called love trauma syndrome (LTS), characterised by intense emotional pain, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts following a romantic split.

The study involved 36 volunteers diagnosed with LTS. They were divided into three groups and wore transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) headsets for 20 minutes, twice daily for five days. These headsets deliver a mild electrical current to specific areas of the brain.

According to The Guardian report, one group had the current target, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), another, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), while the third group received no stimulation (placebo). Both targeted regions play a role in regulating emotions.

The study suggests a potential link between breakups and bereavement in the brain, with specific prefrontal areas implicated in processing the emotional pain of both experiences.

While further research is needed, this initial study offers promising results for those struggling with the aftermath of a relationship breakdown.

The study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, concluded that for LTS symptoms, DLPFC stimulation was more efficient than VLPFC stimulation.

"Both DLPFC and VLPFC protocols significantly reduced LTS symptoms and improved depressive state and anxiety after the intervention, as compared with the sham group," concluded researchers from the University of Zanjan in Iran and Bielefeld University in Germany. "The improving effect of the DLPFC protocol on love trauma syndrome was significantly larger than that of the VLPFC protocol."

A month after the treatment stopped, volunteers still felt better. The study's authors said, "These promising results require replication in larger trials."