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Androgen Deprivation Alters Attention to Sexually Provocative Visual Stimuli in Elderly Men
Jaime L Palmer-Hague1, Vivian Tsang2, Charlenn Skead1
1Department of Psychology, Trinity Western University, Langley, BC, Canada.
Introduction:
Testosterone is known to regulate male sexual interest, but the exact way that androgens influence men's sexual cognition remains unclear.
Aim:
To investigate the influence of androgen deprivation (AD) on visual responses to sexually suggestive stimuli in men treated for prostate cancer with AD therapy.
Methods:
Patients with AD-treated prostate cancer, patients with prostate cancer not on AD therapy, and age-matched healthy control participants were exposed to images of male and female runway models fully or minimally clothed. Eye tracking was used to compare looking behavior among groups.
Main Outcome Measures:
Proportion of fixations on fully clothed vs minimally clothed models and proportion of fixations on target areas of interest (ie, legs, chest, pelvis, and face) of fully clothed and minimally clothed models were analyzed and compared among groups.
Results:
Although men not on AD exhibited a larger proportion of fixations on the minimally clothed compared with the fully clothed images, there was no difference between the 2 image types for men on AD. This was true regardless of whether the images depicted male or female models. Groups did not differ in their fixations to target areas of interest.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that testosterone can influence men's visual attention to sexual stimuli; specifically, AD can attenuate the time spent fixated on sexualized targets. Palmer-Hague JL, Tsang V, Skead C, et al. Androgen Deprivation Alters Attention to Sexually Provocative Visual Stimuli in Elderly Men. Sex Med 2017;5:e245-e254.
Insights
Androgen deprivation (AD) reduces men's visual attention to sexual stimuli. Men undergoing AD therapy for prostate cancer showed no difference in looking at clothed versus minimally clothed models, unlike untreated men.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Sexual Medicine
Background:
- Testosterone regulates male sexual interest, but its precise role in sexual cognition is not fully understood.
- Androgen deprivation (AD) therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how AD affects visual attention to sexually suggestive images in men treated for prostate cancer.
- To compare the visual responses of men on AD therapy, men with prostate cancer not on AD, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Participants viewed images of fully or minimally clothed male and female models.
- Eye-tracking technology was used to record participants' looking behavior.
- Fixation patterns on clothed versus minimally clothed models and specific body areas were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Men not on AD therapy looked more at minimally clothed models than fully clothed ones.
- Men on AD therapy showed no difference in looking at minimally clothed versus fully clothed images.
- No group differences were observed in fixations on specific target areas of interest.
Conclusions:
- Testosterone influences men's visual attention to sexual stimuli.
- AD therapy can decrease the time men spend looking at sexualized visual targets.
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