This study examines the possibility that volunteer support can influence how long terminally ill patients survive. Hospice patient files (N ϭ 290) were coded for marital status and volunteer support condition, respectively, the latter on the basis of whether visits from volunteers were requested and received (n ϭ 94), requested but not received (n ϭ 28), or neither requested nor received (n ϭ 168). Baseline health, disease type, and demographic dimensions were comparable across support conditions. Results indicated that when a baseline health status effect was controlled for ( p Ͻ .0002), patients in the volunteer support condition survived significantly longer than did patients in either unvisited condition ( p Ͻ .0001). Neither marital status nor gender independently predicted survival time.

Agonadal serum hormone levels result in globally decreased brain-activation patterns in postmenopausal women while viewing neutral and erotic videos. Administration of both estradiol and testosterone increase global brain activation, and both sex steroids are independently associated with enhanced limbic system response during erotic visual stimulation.