fMRI Analysis Provides Insight into Women’s Sexual Desires and Emotional Responses

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As we have reported before (three differentimes), the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is being used in more studies of the brain.  At the recent annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (Denver), two different papers examined women’s sexual desires and emotional responses.

In the first study,  Dr. Michael Diamond (lead researcher for this study at Wayne State University) presented results (no longer available on the internet ;2016 update]) demonstrating that there are physiological reasons why women have low sex drive (hyposexual desire disorder, or HSDD).  The study subjected 26 women to fMRI scans while they watched videos (including erotic scenes).  Women with lower libido (19) did not exhibit the same degree of brain activity as did the women with normal libidos (7).

The study results found that women with normal sexual function had greater activation in the gyri of the brain (the bumps; sulci are the fissures or grooves),  while women suffering from had greater activation in the cortices of the brain..

The other study examined the effect of hormonal levels and emotional reactions during the  menstrual cycle.  In this study, eight (8) women were shown pictures, rating them as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.  The study, headed by Dr. C.E. Broadwell of the University of Vermont (is no longer available on the web [2016 update]) was effected during different phases of the women’s menstrual cycles.

During the early part of the cycle, the researchers did not find any area of the brain with increased activation.  However, once the women reached the mid-point of their cycle, there was increased activity in the lateral prefrontal sections (and other sectors that process emotional information).

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