Facing mesothelioma or losing a loved one to the disease can cause feelings of severe loss and grief. The ways which individuals cope with this sorrow differ greatly, even on a physiological level. A new study out of UCLA suggests that individuals with "complicated grief" experience increased brain activity in surprising areas.

"Complicated grief" refers to sorrow that does not diminish over time, as may be expected. In the UCLA study, 23 women who had lost a mother or sister to breast cancer were examined. Twelve of them had noncomplicated grief, while the other 11 suffered from complicated grief. The subjects without complicated grief demonstrated the expected brain activity on a functional MRI test when shown pictures of their lost relatives. In both subject groups, the brain regions associated with physical and emotional pain were active. In the women with complicated grief, however, brain activity also occurred in the nucleus accumbens-- an area of the brain associated with earning rewards.

Researchers were initially puzzled by this discovery; the brain activity seemed to indicate that the grief was pleasurable, thus stimulating the "reward" area of the mind. Upon further testing, the doctors concluded that the nucleus accumbens also reacts when individuals desire or crave something, such as a reward. In the subjects suffering from complicated grief, the nucleus accumbens became active because they physically yearned for their lost relative. In a survey, these women were more likely to say they longed for the deceased.

These new results will help counselors better assess their clients who suffer from complicated grief by attuning them to the physical yearning they experience. This is the first study to determine a neurological explanation for the persistent longing that occurs in about 10-20% of people who lose loved ones. For more information on the study, go here.