{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T08:54:40Z","timestamp":1787907280615,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]],"date-time":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633910400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Love has an enormous effect on mental health. One does not need an actual romantic relationship to be in love. Indeed, romantic love can be built upon without frequent or real-life encounters, such as with a stranger from a matching website. With the advancement of the Internet and the influence of coronavirus disease, it is believed that these distant romantic relationships and related romance scams are burgeoning. Often, the victims of scams keep emotionally attached to the scammer even after the lie is revealed, which is hypothesized to be attributed to the aberrantly exaggerated romantic imagery of the victims. It is observed that many victims suffer from symptoms similar to a post-traumatic stress disorder, and some even consider suicide. However, there is scant literature on this topic. In this article, it is further postulated that the aberrant romantic imagery might be associated with impulsive acts such as suicide once the ideal but fake romantic relationship is dissolved. Thereafter, it is further speculated that manipulation of the visual network, possibly by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), might be a promising treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.738874","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]],"date-time":"2021-10-11T13:36:31Z","timestamp":1633959391000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Romance Scams: Romantic Imagery and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Jie-Yu","family":"Chuang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.2174\/1745017902016010024","article-title":"Online romance scams: relational dynamics and psychological characteristics of the victims and scammers. A scoping review","volume":"16","author":"Coluccia","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Heal."},{"key":"B2","unstructured":""},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1177\/1748895815603773","article-title":"The online dating romance scam: the psychological impact on victims \u2013 both financial and non-financial","volume":"16","author":"Whitty","year":"2016","journal-title":"Criminol Crim Justice."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.1057\/sj.2012.57","article-title":"Anatomy of the online dating romance scam","volume":"28","author":"Whitty","year":"2015","journal-title":"Secur J."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2016.0729","article-title":"Do you love me? Psychological characteristics of romance scam victims","volume":"21","author":"Whitty","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1017\/S1092852918001487","article-title":"Mental imagery in psychiatry: conceptual and clinical implications","volume":"24","author":"Ji","year":"2019","journal-title":"CNS Spectr."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"624","DOI":"10.1038\/s41583-019-0202-9","article-title":"The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery","volume":"20","author":"Pearson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurosci."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"590","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2015.08.003","article-title":"Mental imagery: functional mechanisms and clinical applications","volume":"19","author":"Pearson","year":"2015","journal-title":"Trends Cogn Sci."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2016.10.018","article-title":"\u2018Flash-forwards\u2019 and suicidal ideation: a prospective investigation of mental imagery, entrapment and defeat in a cohort from the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey","volume":"246","author":"Ng","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.12959\/issn.1855-0541.iiass-2015-no1-art13","article-title":"Imagining the absent partner - intimacy and imagination in long-distance relationships","volume":"8","author":"Jurkane-Hobein","year":"2015","journal-title":"Innov Issues Approaches Soc Sci."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.5281\/zenodo.56227","article-title":"The role of love stories in Romance Scams: a qualitative analysis of fraudulent profiles","volume":"9","author":"Kopp","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Cyber Criminol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/texcom\/tgab035","article-title":"Behavioral and neural signatures of visual imagery vividness extremes: aphantasia versus hyperphantasia","volume":"2","author":"Milton","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cereb Cortex Commun."},{"key":"B13","volume-title":"The Divine Comedy: the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso","author":"Alighieri","year":"1948"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1116","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17031116","article-title":"Psychological correlates of ghosting and breadcrumbing experiences: a preliminary study among adults","volume":"17","author":"Navarro","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1002\/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00198.x","article-title":"Relationship problems and the DSM: needed improvements and suggested solutions","volume":"8","author":"Heyman","year":"2009","journal-title":"World Psychiatry."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1027\/0227-5910\/a000484","article-title":"Suicidal risk following the termination of romantic relationships","volume":"39","author":"Love","year":"2018","journal-title":"Crisis."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cortex.2017.12.014","article-title":"The neural correlates of visual imagery: a co-ordinate-based meta-analysis","volume":"105","author":"Winlove","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cortex."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00838.2004","article-title":"Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love","volume":"94","author":"Aron","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Neurophysiol."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsq092","article-title":"Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love","volume":"7","author":"Acevedo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1002\/cne.20772","article-title":"Romantic love: an fMRI study of a neural mechanism for mate choice","volume":"493","author":"Fisher","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Comp Neurol."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00784.2009","article-title":"Reward, addiction, and emotion regulation systems associated with rejection in love","volume":"104","author":"Fisher","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Neurophysiol."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2245","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ajp.161.12.2245","article-title":"Regional brain activity in women grieving a romantic relationship breakup","volume":"161","author":"Najib","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am J Psychiatry."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2771","DOI":"10.1007\/s11682-019-00226-0","article-title":"Altered brain network organization in romantic love as measured with resting-state fMRI and graph theory","volume":"14","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brain Imaging Behav."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1080\/16506070902980729","article-title":"Mental imagery and emotion in treatment across disorders: using the example of depression","volume":"38","author":"Holmes","year":"2009","journal-title":"Cogn Behav Ther."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbtep.2013.09.006","article-title":"Imagery rescripting as a stand-alone treatment for patients with social phobia: a case series","volume":"45","author":"Frets","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-clinpsy-021815-092925","article-title":"Mental imagery in depression: phenomenology, potential mechanisms, and treatment implications","volume":"12","author":"Holmes","year":"2016","journal-title":"Annu Rev Clin Psychol."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/S0005-7894(73)80071-1","article-title":"Processes of fear-reduction in systematic desensitization: cognitive and social reinforcement factors in humans","volume":"4","author":"Davison","year":"1973","journal-title":"Behav Ther."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2044-8260.1997.tb01408.x","article-title":"Eye-movements and visual imagery: a working memory approach to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder A reduction in physiological response to these","volume":"36","author":"Andrade","year":"1997","journal-title":"Br J Clin Psychol."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13706","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0013706","article-title":"Key steps in developing a cognitive vaccine against traumatic flashbacks: visuospatial tetris versus verbal pub quiz","volume":"5","author":"Holmes","year":"2010","journal-title":"PLoS ONE."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2014.00193","article-title":"A role for mental imagery in the experience and reduction of food cravings","volume":"6","author":"Kemps","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/ijnp\/pyu047","article-title":"Cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of transcranial direct current stimulation: evidence from in vitro and in vivo models","volume":"18","author":"Pelletier","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int J Neuropsychopharmacol."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci8050081","article-title":"Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): a promising treatment for major depressive disorder?","volume":"8","author":"Bennabi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Brain Sci."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2017.4040","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation as an add-on treatment for bipolar depression: a randomized clinical trial","volume":"75","author":"Sampaio","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAMA Psychiatry."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.3389\/fnbeh.2018.00094","article-title":"Transcranial direct current stimulation, symptomatology, and cognition in psychosis: a qualitative review","volume":"12","author":"Gupta","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Behav Neurosci."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2020.05.007","article-title":"Repeated transcranial direct current stimulation of dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex improves executive functions, cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation, and control over emotional processing in borderline personality disorder: a randomized, sham-controlled, parallel-group study","volume":"274","author":"Molavi","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Affect Disord."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinph.2016.10.087","article-title":"Evidence-based guidelines on the therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)","volume":"128","author":"Lefaucheur","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Neurophysiol."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brainresbull.2019.09.011","article-title":"Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial","volume":"153","author":"Ahmadizadeh","year":"2019","journal-title":"Brain Res Bull."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"350232","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.50232","article-title":"Cortical excitability controls the strength of mental imagery","volume":"9","author":"Keogh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Elife."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2020.12.029","article-title":"Visual mental imagery engages the left fusiform gyrus, but not the early visual cortex: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence","volume":"122","author":"Spagna","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurosci Biobehav Rev."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1902944","article-title":"Suicide","volume":"382","author":"Ropper","year":"2020","journal-title":"N Engl J Med."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cnp.2016.12.003","article-title":"Adverse events of tDCS and tACS: a review","volume":"2","author":"Matsumoto","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Neurophysiol Pract."},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2016.06.004","article-title":"Safety of transcranial direct current stimulation: evidence based update 2016","volume":"9","author":"Bikson","year":"2016","journal-title":"Brain Stimul."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2016.11.005","article-title":"Treatment-emergent mania\/hypomania during antidepressant treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"Brunoni","year":"2017","journal-title":"Brain Stimul."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2021.03.006","article-title":"No risk of skin lesion or burn with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) using standardized protocols","volume":"14","author":"Pilloni","year":"2021","journal-title":"Brain Stimul."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.738874\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]],"date-time":"2021-10-11T13:36:35Z","timestamp":1633959395000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.738874\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.738874"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.738874","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]]},"article-number":"738874"}}