A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that married heterosexual couples with higher “neural synchronicity” had more marital satisfaction. Married heterosexual couples underwent fMRI after being shown movie clips involving marital life-related scenes, follwed by clips with nonmarital scenes. Study participants underwent fMRI as they viewed the clips, and their scans were compared between spouses, and also with random participants. Researchers at Stanford and the Chengdu Brain Science Institute also found that married couples showed higher levels of brain-wide neural synchronization on functional MRI imaging compared to random participants.

These recent results suggest that real-time mental responses are associated with marital satisfaction and bonding. The new results are just one piece of the puzzle that is a marital relationship; of course it’s also important that both participants in a marriage are working towards individual mental wellness. At CalPsychiatry, our physicians strive to help you maintain mental wellness, and can help you with medication management, as well as coordinate care with therapists and other physicians. Call or book your free consultation today.