Functional neuroimaging studies of sexual arousal and orgasm in healthy men and women: A review and meta-analysis

Stoléru, Serge; Fonteille, Véronique; Cornélis, Christel; Joyal, Christian C.; Moulier, Virginie

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.03.006

Cited by 315 publications

(366 citation statements)

References 170 publications

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“…We therefore suggest that the common activity detected by this study in the IOG, FFG and VLPFC reveals the core areas of a brain network that is tuned to detect face cues of sexual maturity. We also found elevated activity in the putamen and NC, which have also been found to be involved in both emotional face processing [4,8] and sexual processing [17]. Several researchers have highlighted the relevance of the dorsal striatum for reward anticipation [18] and inhibitory control [19][20][21].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences

et al. 2014

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Human faces can motivate nurturing behaviour or sexual behaviour when adults see a child or an adult face, respectively. This suggests that face processing is tuned to detecting age cues of sexual maturity to stimulate the appropriate reproductive behaviour: either caretaking or mating. In paedophilia, sexual attraction is directed to sexually immature children. Therefore, we hypothesized that brain networks that normally are tuned to mature faces of the preferred gender show an abnormal tuning to sexual immature faces in paedophilia. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test directly for the existence of a network which is tuned to face cues of sexual maturity. During fMRI, participants sexually attracted to either adults or children were exposed to various face images. In individuals attracted to adults, adult faces activated several brain regions significantly more than child faces. These brain regions comprised areas known to be implicated in face processing, and sexual processing, including occipital areas, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and, subcortically, the putamen and nucleus caudatus. The same regions were activated in paedophiles, but with a reversed preferential response pattern.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences

et al. 2014

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Section: Brain Activity During the Emotional Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Activity in these areas during erotic stimulation has been explained by models of sexual arousal comprising four coordinate components: cognitive, motivational, emotional, and physiological [19,31,49]. According to these models, activity in the occipitotemporal, parietal, and orbitofrontal areas are related to the cognitive component of sexual arousal [19,31,49,50]: the evaluative process that categorizes stimuli as sexual and directs attention to them. Furthermore, activity in the insula, amygdala, rostral ACC, and medial PFC are linked to the emotional component [19,20,31,50]: the processing of the subjective experience of hedonic feelings associated with sexual arousal.…”

Section: Brain Activity During the Emotional Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to these models, activity in the occipitotemporal, parietal, and orbitofrontal areas are related to the cognitive component of sexual arousal [19,31,49,50]: the evaluative process that categorizes stimuli as sexual and directs attention to them. Furthermore, activity in the insula, amygdala, rostral ACC, and medial PFC are linked to the emotional component [19,20,31,50]: the processing of the subjective experience of hedonic feelings associated with sexual arousal. In addition, the rostral ACC and anterior insula constitute the physiological component of sexual arousal [19,31]: the autonomic and endocrinological changes that lead the individual to readiness for sexual behavior.…”

Section: Brain Activity During the Emotional Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sexual behavior is one of the most important goal-directed behaviors essential for the survival of the animal species and is thought to engage brain mechanisms supporting reward processing [18]. A key component of sexual behavior is sexual arousal, defined as physical and psychological readiness to perform sexual behavior [19]. Sexual arousal may be initiated by external stimuli or may be produced by endogenous factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reward sensitivity is associated with brain activity during erotic stimulus processing

Costumero

Barrós‐Loscertales

Bustamante

et al. 2014

Personality and Individual Differences

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The behavioral approach system (BAS) from Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory is a neurobehavioral system involved in the processing of rewarding stimuli that has been related to dopaminergic brain areas. Gray's theory hypothesizes that the functioning of reward brain areas is modulated by BAS-related traits. To test this hypothesis, we performed an fMRI study where participants viewed erotic and neutral pictures, and cues that predicted their appearance. Forty-five heterosexual men completed the Sensitivity to Reward scale (from the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire) to measure BAS-related traits. Results showed that Sensitivity to Reward scores correlated positively with brain activity during reactivity to erotic pictures in the left orbitofrontal cortex, left insula, and right ventral striatum. These results demonstrated a relationship between the BAS and reward sensitivity during the processing of erotic stimuli, filling the gap of previous reports that identified the dopaminergic system as a neural substrate for the BAS during the processing of other rewarding stimuli such as money and food.

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Effects of Kisspeptin Administration in Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

et al. 2022

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ImportanceDespite being the most common female sexual health complaint worldwide, current treatment options for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) are limited in their safety and effectiveness. The hormone kisspeptin is a key endogenous activator of the reproductive hormonal axis with additional emerging roles in sexual and emotional behavior; however, its effects in women with HSDD are unknown.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that kisspeptin enhances sexual and attraction brain processing in women with HSDD.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis randomized clinical trial was double-masked and placebo controlled with a 2-way crossover. The trial was conducted in a university research setting in the UK from October 2020 to April 2021. Eligible participants were premenopausal women with HSDD. Functional neuroimaging, psychometric, and hormonal analyses were employed to investigate the effects of kisspeptin administration on brain processing, in response to erotic stimuli (erotic videos) and facial attraction (face images of varying attractiveness). Data were analyzed from May to December 2021.InterventionsA 75-minute intravenous infusion of kisspeptin-54 (1 nmol/kg/h) vs equivalent-rate placebo infusion.Main Outcomes and MeasuresBlood oxygen level–dependent responses across the whole brain and regions of interest during kisspeptin vs placebo administration in response to erotic and facial attraction stimuli.ResultsOf the 40 participants who were randomized, 32 women completed both kisspeptin and placebo visits, with a mean (SE) age of 29.2 (1.2) years. Kisspeptin administration resulted in modulations in sexual and facial attraction brain processing (deactivation of the left inferior frontal gyrus: Z max, 3.76; P = .01; activation of the right postcentral and supramarginal gyrus: Z max, 3.73; P &lt; .001; deactivation of the right temporoparietal junction: Z max 4.08; P = .02). Furthermore, positive correlations were observed between kisspeptin-enhanced hippocampal activity in response to erotic videos, and baseline distress relating to sexual function (r = 0.469; P = .007). Kisspeptin’s enhancement of posterior cingulate cortex activity in response to attractive male faces also correlated with reduced sexual aversion, providing additional functional significance (r = 0.476, P = .005). Kisspeptin was well-tolerated with no reported adverse effects.Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings lay the foundations for clinical applications for kisspeptin in women with HSDD.Trial RegistrationISRCTN trial registry identifier: ISRCTN17271094

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Functional neuroimaging studies of sexual arousal and orgasm in healthy men and women: A review and meta-analysis

Cited by 315 publications

References 170 publications

Human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences

Human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences

Reward sensitivity is associated with brain activity during erotic stimulus processing

Effects of Kisspeptin Administration in Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

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