Altered Structural and Functional Connectivity Contribute to Rapid Ejaculation: Insights from a Multimodal...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual dysfunction with limited understanding of its underlying neurobiology.
• Aberrant structural and functional brain connectivity may play a role in the pathophysiology of PE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) between patients with PE and healthy controls (HCs).
• To explore the correlation between abnormal brain connectivity and clinical characteristics of PE.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were used.
• Graph theoretical analysis was applied to assess SC disruptions.
• Regions of interest (ROIs) with impaired nodal strength were identified for FC analysis.

Main Results:

• PE patients exhibited increased nodal strength in prefrontal regions (e.g., superior frontal gyrus) and decreased nodal strength in the left amygdala.
• Decreased FC was observed in the default mode network, visual recognition network, and subcortical network, while increased FC was found in the attention network.
• Nodal strength in the right superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with intravaginal ejaculation latency, and FC between the left middle frontal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus positively correlated with PE diagnostic tool scores.

Conclusions:

• PE is associated with abnormal SC in the prefrontal-amygdala pathway.
• Aberrant FC in specific brain networks, particularly the default mode network, is implicated in PE.
• These findings highlight potential neurobiological underpinnings of PE and suggest targets for future interventions.