Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males

[Guest guest]

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/125/5/1014

Brain, Vol. 125, No. 5, 1014-1023, May 2002

© 2002 Guarantors of Brain

Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males

Bruce A. Arnow1, E. Desmond1, L. Banner1, H. Glover1,

Ari 1, Lake Polan1, Tom F. Lue1 and W. Atlas1

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University

School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., USA

Correspondence to: Bruce A. Arnow, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and

Behavioral Sciences, Room 1326, Stanford University School of

Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5722, USA E-mail: arnow@...

Despite the brain's central role in sexual function, little is known

about relationships between brain activation and sexual response. In

this study, we employed functional MRI (fMRI) to examine relationships

between brain activation and sexual arousal in a group of young,

healthy, heterosexual males. Each subject was exposed to two sequences

of video material consisting of explicitly erotic (E), relaxing ®

and sports (S) segments in an unpredictable order. Data on penile

turgidity was collected using a custom-built pneumatic pressure cuff.

Both traditional block analyses using contrasts between sexually

arousing and non-arousing video clips and a regression using penile

turgidity as the covariate of interest were performed. In both types

of analyses, contrast images were computed for each subject and these

images were subsequently used in a random effects analysis. Strong

activations specifically associated with penile turgidity were

observed in the right subinsular region including the claustrum, left

caudate and putamen, right middle occipital/ middle temporal gyri,

bilateral cingulate gyrus and right sensorimotor and pre-motor

regions. Smaller, but significant activation was observed in the right

hypothalamus. Few significant activations were found in the block

analyses. Implications of the findings are discussed. Our study

demonstrates the feasibility of examining brain activation/sexual

response relationships in an fMRI environment and reveals a number of

brain structures whose activation is time-locked to sexual arousal.

[Guest guest]

I believe the drug MDMA " excites " the whole nervous system, and this

could potentially be a reason for its aphrodisiac properties, as

opposed to its serotonin qualities which are little understood.

[Guest guest]

interesting to this same experiment after those individuals have

taken ssris and been off them for some time!

>

> http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/125/5/1014

>

>

> Brain, Vol. 125, No. 5, 1014-1023, May 2002

> © 2002 Guarantors of Brain

> Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males

> Bruce A. Arnow1, E. Desmond1, L. Banner1, H.

Glover1,

> Ari 1, Lake Polan1, Tom F. Lue1 and W. Atlas1

>

> Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford

University

> School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., USA

>

> Correspondence to: Bruce A. Arnow, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and

> Behavioral Sciences, Room 1326, Stanford University School of

> Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5722, USA E-mail: arnow@...

>

> Despite the brain's central role in sexual function, little is known

> about relationships between brain activation and sexual response. In

> this study, we employed functional MRI (fMRI) to examine

relationships

> between brain activation and sexual arousal in a group of young,

> healthy, heterosexual males. Each subject was exposed to two

sequences

> of video material consisting of explicitly erotic (E), relaxing ®

> and sports (S) segments in an unpredictable order. Data on penile

> turgidity was collected using a custom-built pneumatic pressure

cuff.

> Both traditional block analyses using contrasts between sexually

> arousing and non-arousing video clips and a regression using penile

> turgidity as the covariate of interest were performed. In both types

> of analyses, contrast images were computed for each subject and

these

> images were subsequently used in a random effects analysis. Strong

> activations specifically associated with penile turgidity were

> observed in the right subinsular region including the claustrum,

left

> caudate and putamen, right middle occipital/ middle temporal gyri,

> bilateral cingulate gyrus and right sensorimotor and pre-motor

> regions. Smaller, but significant activation was observed in the

right

> hypothalamus. Few significant activations were found in the block

> analyses. Implications of the findings are discussed. Our study

> demonstrates the feasibility of examining brain activation/sexual

> response relationships in an fMRI environment and reveals a number

of

> brain structures whose activation is time-locked to sexual arousal.

>