Brain processing of visual sexual stimuli in healthy men: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

The brain plays a central role in sexual motivation. To identify cerebral areas whose activation was correlated with sexual desire, eight healthy male volunteers were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Visual stimuli were sexually stimulating photographs (S condition) and emo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Fla.), 2003-10, Vol.20 (2), p.855-869
Main Authors: Mouras, Harold, Stoléru, Serge, Bittoun, Jacques, Glutron, Dominique, Pélégrini-Issac, Mélanie, Paradis, Anne-Lise, Burnod, Yves
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Algorithms
Anxiety
Anxiety - psychology
Brain
Brain - physiology
Brain Mapping
Cerebrovascular Circulation
Cerebrovascular Circulation - physiology
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Individuality
Life Sciences
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medical imaging
Neural networks
Neurons and Cognition
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Oxygen
Oxygen - blood
Penile Erection
Penile Erection - physiology
Photic Stimulation
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Behavior - physiology
Studies
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Summary:The brain plays a central role in sexual motivation. To identify cerebral areas whose activation was correlated with sexual desire, eight healthy male volunteers were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Visual stimuli were sexually stimulating photographs (S condition) and emotionally neutral photographs (N condition). Subjective responses pertaining to sexual desire were recorded after each condition. To image the entire brain, separate runs focused on the upper and the lower parts of the brain. Statistical Parametric Mapping was used for data analysis. Subjective ratings confirmed that sexual pictures effectively induced sexual arousal. In the S condition compared to the N condition, a group analysis conducted on the upper part of the brain demonstrated an increased signal in the parietal lobes (superior parietal lobules, left intraparietal sulcus, left inferior parietal lobule, and right postcentral gyrus), the right parietooccipital sulcus, the left superior occipital gyrus, and the precentral gyri. In addition, a decreased signal was recorded in the right posterior cingulate gyrus and the left precuneus. In individual analyses conducted on the lower part of the brain, an increased signal was found in the right and/or left middle occipital gyrus in seven subjects, and in the right and/or left fusiform gyrus in six subjects. In conclusion, fMRI allows to identify brain responses to visual sexual stimuli. Among activated regions in the S condition, parietal areas are known to be involved in attentional processes directed toward motivationally relevant stimuli, while frontal premotor areas have been implicated in motor preparation and motor imagery. Further work is needed to identify those specific features of the neural responses that distinguish sexual desire from other emotional and motivational states.
ISSN:1053-8119
1095-9572
DOI:10.1016/S1053-8119(03)00408-7