Sexual arousal in the brain, unmasked

Centers of language, memory, appetite ... Man is always trying to "map" the brain by giving an anatomic area given a particular function. But despite its importance, sexual behavior had hitherto been little investigated. Today, thanks to French researchers, the brain areas involved in arousal emerge from the shadows!
 
Activation of brain region is accompanied by increased local blood flow. This can be viewed through a process of scanning individual called Positron Emission Tomography (PET). A real improvement on the EEG tracings of 15 years ago!

Experimental conditions somewhat banal
These are the reactions of 9 heterosexual men (21-39 years) to visual stimuli that have been studied *. These lucky participants were six successive projecting silent videos of 3 minutes between types of clips and humorous documentary images suggestive female gradually until the final projection of sexual acts. The recording of brain activity was coupled with other complementary measures: pulse, blood pressure and degree of erection. Finally, the men noted their level of sexual arousal in response to each video on a scale from 1 (very weak) to 9 (very strong).

Three areas of the brain quite excited
They are relatively deep areas and central brain that respond specifically (and both sides). They are funny names claustrum, putamen and anterior cingulate cortex. This response to visual sexual stimuli occurred in correlation to the degree of perceived sexual arousal and other indicators. If the last two functions were already partially known, the claustrum, it was a relatively mysterious brain area. Here he is now unmasked!

But man is an animal complex
A claustrum on, man excited? This is not counting the complexity of the human brain and its billions of neurons interconnected. Others have answered the call, albeit in less specific and less strong, but it is certain that the claustrum is not alone!

As for areas "cleared" by the sexual stimuli, they are mainly in the temporal lobes, more superficially in the cortex. And the simultaneous deactivation of these areas "inhibitory" occurs without much doubt that the activation areas "excitatory" in sexual desire.

It is clear that men are complex mammals. Sexual arousal is not only related to sensory stimuli and do not necessarily lead to action without intervention of thoughts and emotions (hopefully) ...

As the foundations of sexual arousal in women, has yet to begin. And we'll bet easily that it is even more complicated ...

 

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