Brain activation and sexual arousal

[Flavio]

The brain plays a central role in sexual function but we still know very little about it.

(I believe that small amounts of alcohol may activate some of these brain regions and improve sexual function, but I've never seen any studies on that)

Here's a fascinating study on the relationship between brain activation and sexual response (one of the authors is the famous urologist Tom F. Lue):


'Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males

[...]

However, despite the brain's role as the 'master organ' governing sexual function (McKenna, 1999), little is known about relationships between brain activation and sexual response. While an extensive animal literature has provided data regarding these relationships, the extent to which such findings can be generalized to humans is unclear (McKenna, 1999). The advent of noninvasive methods of mapping brain activation now present the opportunity to significantly increase our understanding of relationships between brain activation and sexual arousal in humans.

[...]

Although we cannot draw causal conclusions regarding brain-behaviour relationships, the regions of activation do provide hypotheses about which regions of the brain, if damaged, might produce changes in sexual function. Futher studies of brain-damaged patients reporting such changes may shed additional light on the precise roles of activated regions in sexual arousal. In addition, the potential contribution of hormonal influences (e.g. testosterone) as mediators of sexual response were beyond the scope of the present study, but could also contribute significantly to the activations.'


Read more: Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males -- Arnow et al. 125 (5): 1014 -- Brain

[Fudgoid]

The brain plays a central role in sexual function but we still know very little about it.

(I believe that small amounts of alcohol may activate some of these brain regions and improve sexual function, but I've never seen any studies on that)

Here's a fascinating study on the relationship between brain activation and sexual response (one of the authors is the famous urologist Tom F. Lue):


'Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males

[...]

However, despite the brain's role as the 'master organ' governing sexual function (McKenna, 1999), little is known about relationships between brain activation and sexual response. While an extensive animal literature has provided data regarding these relationships, the extent to which such findings can be generalized to humans is unclear (McKenna, 1999). The advent of noninvasive methods of mapping brain activation now present the opportunity to significantly increase our understanding of relationships between brain activation and sexual arousal in humans.

[...]

Although we cannot draw causal conclusions regarding brain-behaviour relationships, the regions of activation do provide hypotheses about which regions of the brain, if damaged, might produce changes in sexual function. Futher studies of brain-damaged patients reporting such changes may shed additional light on the precise roles of activated regions in sexual arousal. In addition, the potential contribution of hormonal influences (e.g. testosterone) as mediators of sexual response were beyond the scope of the present study, but could also contribute significantly to the activations.'


Read more: Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males -- Arnow et al. 125 (5): 1014 -- Brain

It is amazes me how little energy has been focused on sexual dysfunction. I mean for all the diseases out there which are crippling loosing one's libido and sexual desire is one of the worst. Really no one can exist without some sexual desire as its so key to life. Sad to think we live in a time when no one apparently gives a *censored**censored**censored**censored*.