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    Korean J Urol. 2006 May;47(5):517-521. Korean.
    Published online May 31, 2006.
    https://doi.org/10.4111/kju.2006.47.5.517
    Copyright © 2006 The Korean Urological Association
    Original Article

    Difference of Brain Activation by Visual Erotic Stimuli in Young and Middle-aged Healthy Males

    Dong Wan Sohn, Kang June Cho, Hyo Sin Kim, Choong Bum Lee, Sung Hak Kang, Yong-Hyun Cho, Moon Soo Yoon, Jung Ho Chae,1 and Sae Woong Kim
      • Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
      • 1Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
    • Corresponding author (Email: kim1227@catholic.ac.kr )
    Received November 09, 2005; Accepted January 02, 2006.

    Abstract

    Purpose

    The objectives of this study are to identify the brain centers whose activity changes are related to sexually arousing visual stimuli and to identify the difference between young and middle-aged males by mapping the brain activity with using blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI).

    Materials and Methods

    Ten young heterosexual, right handed males with normal sexual function (mean age: 27 years, age range: 24 to 31) and ten middle-aged heterosexual, right handed males with normal sexual function (mean age: 52 years, age range: 46 to 55) were enrolled into this study. Real-time visual stimulation was performed with the subjects alternatively viewing erotic and non-erotic films to identify the activated brain regions associated with sexual response. Assessments with using a five-point scale were determined after visual stimulation to evaluate the subjective sexual arousal. Brain activity was mapped by performing BOLD-fMRI on a 1.5T MR scanner. After functional scanning, the high-resolution data was analyzed with the SPM analyzing program; the significance of activation was set at p<0.01 or p<0.001.

    Results

    The parietal lobe, frontal lobe, cingulate gyrus, caudate nucleus, thalamus and hypothalamus were noted as the areas of activation specifically associated with viewing the erotic film segments by the young males. For the middle-aged males, these areas were the parietal lobe, frontal lobe, right temporal lobe, cingulate gyrus and caudate nucleus. The thalamus and hypothalamus were activated in only the young males.

    Conclusions

    We suggest that the non-activation of the hypothalamus and thalamus in middle-aged males may be associated with the lesser physiological arousal in response to the erotic visual stimuli. The non-invasive visualization of the central nervous system by functional MRI in healthy males has shown the possibility for evaluating the neuroanatomy of the brain that is associated with sexual arousal and its clinical application by comparing young and middle-aged males.

    Keywords
    Brain; MRI; Sex

    Figures

    Fig. 1
    Brain areas whose activation is related to erotic-visual stimuli in young healthy males.

    Fig. 2
    Brain areas whose activation is related to erotic-visual stimuli in middle aged healthy males.

    Tables

    Table 1
    Brain areas whose activation is related to erotic-visual stimuli in both groups

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    MeSH Terms
    Arousal
    Brain*
    Caudate Nucleus
    Central Nervous System
    Frontal Lobe
    Gyrus Cinguli
    Hand
    Heterosexuality
    Humans
    Hypothalamus
    Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    Male*
    Neuroanatomy
    Oxygen
    Parietal Lobe
    Photic Stimulation
    Temporal Lobe
    Thalamus
    Metrics
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