Are Successful Relationships “No Brainers?” Um, No.

Love can feel complicated, which is why few people describe successful relationships as “no brainers.” But turns out there’s another reason the phrase “no brainer” doesn’t apply to your love life. There’s actually a very big link between your heart and all that gray matter between your ears. In fact, the success of your relationships–romantic and otherwise–is determined in many ways by the health of your brain.

So says Dr. Daniel Amen in a forward he wrote for the book This Is Your Brain in Love. Dr. Amen, award-winning physician, bestselling author, and brain enhancement expert, has this to say about the link between neuroscience and romance: “One of the most fascinating things I have learned from looking at more than 50,000 brain scans is that when you improve how your brain functions, even if it is troubled, you become more thoughtful, more loving, and more effective in all of your relationships.”

The book, written by Dr. Earl Henslin and Becky Johnson, explains the latest in brain imaging, shows how the brain affects your love life, and describes how to improve five common relationship imbalances.

Throughout the month of February, the LearningRx Brain Blog will be featuring a number of posts on love and the brain. So check back often to see what’s here.

In the meantime, if you want a healthier relationship, don’t look to your heart. Look a little farther north. “If you are having trouble in your relationships,” advises Dr. Amen, “you need to think about the brain. Undetected brain problems sabotage your ability to relate to and love others.”