Sex differences in interactions between nucleus accumbens and visual cortex by explicit visual erotic stimuli: an...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Men generally show stronger positive responses to explicit visual erotic stimuli (EVES) compared to women.
• The specific brain networks underlying this sex difference and the role of hormonal factors remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in brain connectivity patterns when exposed to EVES.
• To examine the association between testosterone levels and brain network activity related to EVES.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan 14 males and 14 females viewing erotic and non-erotic images.
• Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was employed to assess functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NA) with EVES exposure.

Main Results:

• Men displayed significantly greater EVES-specific functional connectivity between the right nucleus accumbens (NA) and the right lateral occipital cortex (LOC).
• This enhanced connectivity in the right NA-LOC network in men positively correlated with plasma testosterone levels.

Conclusions:

• Men's heightened sensitivity to EVES is attributed to increased interaction within visual reward networks.
• Testosterone levels appear to modulate this sex-specific brain network activity in response to erotic stimuli.