Brain Cortical Complexity and Subcortical Morphometrics in Lifelong Premature Ejaculation.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Male Sexual Health

Background:

• Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most prevalent male sexual dysfunction, yet its underlying brain disturbances are not well understood.
• Investigating brain morphology offers potential insights into the pathophysiology of PE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare brain structure morphology between men with PE and controls.
• To associate morphologic differences with PE severity measures like intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT).
• To explore causal connections between brain structures using mediation analysis.

Main Methods:

• Acquired anatomical MRI scans from 39 male participants (23 PE, 16 controls).
• Utilized FSL for subcortical shape segmentation and CAT12 for gyrification index analysis.
• Employed general linear models with family-wise error correction for statistical comparisons.

Main Results:

• Outward shape deformations (expansions) observed in the left hippocampus and bilateral thalamus in the PE group.
• Increased cortical complexity, indicated by the gyrification index, found in the right orbital frontal cortex and right nucleus accumbens of PE patients.
• Positive correlation between shape deformations and IELT in controls was disrupted in the PE group.

Conclusions:

• PE is associated with significant morphological differences in both subcortical and cortical brain structures.
• These structural alterations may underlie the functional brain changes contributing to PE.
• Morphological findings provide a potential neurobiological basis for understanding and potentially treating PE.