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Left: Brain of a volunteer whose relationship lasted. Right: Brain of a volunteer who later split from their partner. Red shows heightened activity and blue shows the brain is deactivated
Brain scans could reveal whether new couples have found long-lasting love, researchers have revealed.

Scientists noticed patterns in the brain activity of volunteers who had recently fallen in love and found they could predict whether the couples would be together three years later.

The findings showed even if volunteers believed they were in passionately love when their brains were scanned, by examining their neuron activity scientists could detect whether those feelings were strong enough for the relationship to last.

Volunteers were shown photographs of their partner and were asked to think of memories of them while their brains were scanned.

Where volunteers' brains showed more activity in the caudate tail area - which reacts emotionally to visual beauty - but less in the medial orbitofrontal cortex - the area linked to criticism and judgement - their relationships tended to last.

Surprisingly the pleasure centres of the brain were less active in the brains of couples who stayed together.
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The scientists say reduced activation in this area, which relates to addiction and seeking rewards, has been linked to satiety and satisfaction.

Of the 12 participants studied, half of them remained with their partner at the end of the three-year period.

Professor Arthur Aron, a ­social psychologist at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, said: 'All of those involved in the study felt very intensely in love with their partner and this was reflected in their scans, but there were some subtle indicators that showed how stable those feeling were.

'If that strong feeling was combined with signs that they could regulate emotions, to see the partner positively and deal with conflict, then it seems to be really productive in staying with the person.

Aron said the research could have a practical application in helping people having relationship problems.

Xiaomeng Xu, the lead author of the study at Brown University in Rhode Island, said: 'Factors present early in the early stages of romantic love seem to play a major role in the development and longevity of the relationship.

'Our data provides preliminary evidence that neural responses in the early stages of romantic love can predict relationship stability and quality up to 40 months later.

'The brain regions involved suggest that reward functions may be predictive for relationship stability.'