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. 2000 Nov;11(3):162-77.
doi: 10.1002/1097-0193(200011)11:3<162::aid-hbm30>3.0.co;2-a.

Brain processing of visual sexual stimuli in human males

J Redouté  1 , S Stoléru, M C Grégoire, N Costes, L Cinotti, F Lavenne, D Le Bars, M G Forest, J F Pujol
Affiliations

Brain processing of visual sexual stimuli in human males

J Redouté et al. Hum Brain Mapp. 2000 Nov.

Abstract

Despite its critical sociobiological importance, the brain processing of visual sexual stimuli has not been characterized precisely in human beings. We used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to investigate responses of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in nine healthy males presented with visual sexual stimuli of graded intensity. Statistical Parametric Mapping was used to locate brain regions whose activation was associated with the presentation of the sexual stimuli and was correlated with markers of sexual arousal. The claustrum, a region whose function had been unclear, displayed one of the highest activations. Additionally, activations were recorded in paralimbic areas (anterior cingulate gyrus, orbito-frontal cortex), in the striatum (head of caudate nucleus, putamen), and in the posterior hypothalamus. By contrast, decreased rCBF was observed in several temporal areas. Based on these results, we propose a model of the brain processes mediating the cognitive, emotional, motivational, and autonomic components of human male sexual arousal.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Perceived sexual arousal (PSA) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in left anterior cingulate gyrus. (a) Means and standard deviations of PSA in each condition. (b) Parasagittal section (4 mm left of midline) showing the positive correlation between rCBF in the left anterior cingulate gyrus (Brodmann area 24) and PSA. Height threshold: z = 3.71, P < 0. 0001, uncorrected. Anterior is to the right.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Coronal section demonstrating brain regions where rCBF was linearly correlated with levels of perceived sexual arousal. (a) Anterior cingulate gyrus; (b) head of caudate nucleus; (c) claustrum and (d) putamen. Section is located 4 mm rostral to anterior commissure. Height threshold: z = 4.40, P < 0. 00001, uncorrected. Right is to the right.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the right orbitofrontal gyrus in response to visual stimuli. Means, standard deviations and individuals values are in ml dl−1 min−1. rCBF is higher when presented stimuli contain women (conditions A, B, C, and S) than when women do not appear (conditions N and H). Red line indicates level of grand mean. Coordinates relative to anterior commissure: x = 22, y = 32, z = 16. See text for description of conditions.
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