Korean J Radiol.  2010 Jun;11(3):278-285. 10.3348/kjr.2010.11.3.278.

Time-Course Analysis of the Neuroanatomical Correlates of Sexual Arousal Evoked by Erotic Video Stimuli in Healthy Males

• Sundaram T
• Jeong GW
• Kim TH
• Kim GW
• Baek HS
• Kang HK

• KMID: 946267
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2010.11.3.278

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To assess the dynamic activations of the key brain areas associated with the time-course of the sexual arousal evoked by visual sexual stimuli in healthy male subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen right-handed heterosexual male volunteers participated in this study. Alternatively combined rest period and erotic video visual stimulation were used according to the standard block design. In order to illustrate and quantify the spatiotemporal activation patterns of the key brain regions, the activation period was divided into three different stages as the EARLY, MID and LATE stages. RESULTS: For the group result (p < 0.05), when comparing the MID stage with the EARLY stage, a significant increase of the brain activation was observed in the areas that included the inferior frontal gyrus, the supplementary motor area, the hippocampus, the head of the caudate nucleus, the midbrain, the superior occipital gyrus and the fusiform gyrus. At the same time, when comparing the EARLY stage with the MID stage, the putamen, the globus pallidus, the pons, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the lingual gyrus and the cuneus yielded significantly increased activations. When comparing the LATE stage with the MID stage, all the above mentioned brain regions showed elevated activations except the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrate the spatiotemporal activation patterns of the key brain regions across the three stages of visual sexual arousal.

Keyword

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); Brain activation; Sexual arousal dynamics

MeSH Terms

Adult
Brain/anatomy & histology/*physiology
Brain Mapping/methods
*Erotica
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods
Male
Photic Stimulation/*methods
Reference Values
Sexual Behavior/*physiology
Time Factors
*Videotape Recording
Young Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Regional activation maps (p < 0.05) obtained from group results. Activation contrasts are overlaid over ch2 template: EARLY stage versus REST period (A), MID stage versus REST period (B) and LATE stage versus REST period (C).

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of activations of different key regions of sexual arousal during each stage with respect to rest condition (p < 0.05).

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