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Mello M, Fusaro M, Aglioti SM, Minio-Paluello I. Exploring social touch in autistic and non-autistic adults via a self-report body-painting task: The role of sex, social context and body area. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:1985-2001. [PMID: 38179707 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231218314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT What is already known about the topic?At least in neurotypical individuals, social touch represents an important channel for emotional communication associated with social bonding and pain/anxiety modulation. Autistic adults report to avoid social touch more and to have different tactile sensitivity than their non-autistic comparisons.What this paper adds?Few studies specifically investigated social touch in autistic individuals, and none of them examined the role of participants' sex, social context in which social touch occurs, and specific body areas being touched. In our study, adult participants reported how pleasant, erogenous and appropriate they would consider touches delivered by another person over their entire body in intimate (date), friendly (dance class) and professional (physiotherapy-massage session) social contexts. Autistic adults reported social touch to be less pleasant, erogenous and appropriate specifically in intimate and friendly social contexts and in body areas typically touched in these situations. Importantly, autistic females seem more at risk to experience unpleasant social touch as, although they considered it more unpleasant than non-autistic females and autistic males, they did consider it similarly appropriate in professional social contexts where touch is normed to be socially appropriate.Implications for practice, research or policyOur results might improve awareness and understanding about autistic adults' different, and often more discomforting, experience of social touch and thus help consider and respect it during everyday social interactions. Our results might also benefit future research investigating, for instance, the neural underpinnings of social touch differences in autism or aiming at developing support for autistic individuals seeking help in the diverse spheres of social touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Mello
- Sapienza University of Rome, and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- Sapienza University of Rome, and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Minio-Paluello
- National Research Council, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Rome, Italy
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2
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Dickstein DR, Edwards CR, Rowan CR, Avanessian B, Chubak BM, Wheldon CW, Simoes PK, Buckstein MH, Keefer LA, Safer JD, Sigel K, Goodman KA, Rosser BRS, Goldstone SE, Wong SY, Marshall DC. Pleasurable and problematic receptive anal intercourse and diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 21:377-405. [PMID: 38763974 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-024-00932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The ability to experience pleasurable sexual activity is important for human health. Receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is a common, though frequently stigmatized, pleasurable sexual activity. Little is known about how diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus and their treatments affect RAI. Engaging in RAI with gastrointestinal disease can be difficult due to the unpredictability of symptoms and treatment-related toxic effects. Patients might experience sphincter hypertonicity, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety, altered pelvic blood flow from structural disorders, decreased sensation from cancer-directed therapies or body image issues from stoma creation. These can result in problematic RAI - encompassing anodyspareunia (painful RAI), arousal dysfunction, orgasm dysfunction and decreased sexual desire. Therapeutic strategies for problematic RAI in patients living with gastrointestinal diseases and/or treatment-related dysfunction include pelvic floor muscle strengthening and stretching, psychological interventions, and restorative devices. Providing health-care professionals with a framework to discuss pleasurable RAI and diagnose problematic RAI can help improve patient outcomes. Normalizing RAI, affirming pleasure from RAI and acknowledging that the gastrointestinal system is involved in sexual pleasure, sexual function and sexual health will help transform the scientific paradigm of sexual health to one that is more just and equitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Dickstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Collin R Edwards
- Department of Radiology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine R Rowan
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bella Avanessian
- Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbara M Chubak
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher W Wheldon
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Priya K Simoes
- The Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael H Buckstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laurie A Keefer
- The Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Safer
- Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Sigel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karyn A Goodman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - B R Simon Rosser
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Stephen E Goldstone
- Department of Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serre-Yu Wong
- The Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah C Marshall
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Dagher S, Ishiyama S. Tickle fetishism: pleasure beyond playfulness. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1342342. [PMID: 38633879 PMCID: PMC11021705 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1342342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Tickling is commonly perceived as juvenile play associated with laughter. However, its potential connection to adult sexual behavior has largely remained unexplored. Our online survey, primarily distributed among individuals interested in tickle fetishism, explored tickling and its association with sexual behavior. Ticklishness types, tools, preferred body parts, and partner preferences, were examined. Results revealed diverse patterns of ticklishness changes over time and distinct body-part preferences for different types of tickling. Childhood experiences and exposure to tickling content in television were found to shape individuals' affinity for tickle fetishism. A quarter of respondents reported experiencing orgasms exclusively from tickling, while around 88% expressed sexual satisfaction through tickling alone, indicating its sufficiency as a sexual stimulus among fetishists. Tickling desire decreased after orgasm, indicating an association between tickling and sexual activity. Moreover, ticklishness degree predicted preferences for being tickled rather than tickling others. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors underlying tickling and sexual experiences: enjoyment and frequency of tickling during sexual activity; preference for intense sexual experiences; age of becoming sexually active. In conclusion, this study provides unique insights into tickling and its connections to sexual context, enhancing our understanding of diverse human sexual behavior and tickle fetishism as a distinct preference.
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A psychophysical and neuroimaging analysis of genital hedonic sensation in men. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10181. [PMID: 35715453 PMCID: PMC9205885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14020-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Current understanding of human genital-brain interactions relates primarily to neuroendocrine and autonomic control, whereas interactions during sexual stimulation remain largely unexplored. Here we present a systematic approach towards identifying how the human brain encodes sensory genital information. Using a validated affective touch paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that hedonic responses to discriminatory versus affective tactile stimulation were distinctly different for both penile shaft and forearm. This suggests that, as with other body sites, genital skin contains small diameter mechanoreceptive nerve fibres that signal pleasant touch. In the brain, secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) distinguished between affective and discriminative touch for the penile shaft, but not for the forearm. Frenulum stimulation induced the greatest reports of subjective pleasure and led to the greatest deactivation of the default-mode network. This study represents a first pass at investigating, in humans, the relationship between innervation of genital surfaces, hedonic feelings, and brain mechanisms, in a systematic way.
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van 't Hof SR, Cera N. Specific factors and methodological decisions influencing brain responses to sexual stimuli in women. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:164-178. [PMID: 34560132 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Most of the neuroimaging studies on sexual behavior have been conducted with male participants, leading to men-based models of sexual arousal. Here, possible factors and methodological decisions that might influence brain responses to sexual stimuli, specifically for the inclusion of women, will be reviewed. Based on this review, we suggest that future studies consider the following factors: menstrual phase, hormonal contraception use, history of sexual or psychiatric disorders or diseases, and medication use. Moreover, when researching sexual arousal, we suggest future studies assess sexual orientation and preferences, that women should select visual sexual stimuli, and a longer duration than commonly used. This review is thought to represent a useful guideline for future research in sexual arousal, which hopefully will lead to a higher inclusion of women and therefore more accurate neurobiological models of sexual arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicoletta Cera
- Centre for Psychology at University of Porto -CPUP, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
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Turnbull OH, Salas CE. The Neuropsychology of Emotion and Emotion Regulation: The Role of Laterality and Hierarchy. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11081075. [PMID: 34439696 PMCID: PMC8392558 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last few decades, work in affective neuroscience has increasingly investigated the neural basis of emotion. A central debate in the field, when studying individuals with brain damage, has been whether emotional processes are lateralized or not. This review aims to expand this debate, by considering the need to include a hierarchical dimension to the problem. The historical journey of the diverse literature is presented, particularly focusing on the need to develop a research program that explores the neural basis of a wide range of emotional processes (perception, expression, experience, regulation, decision making, etc.), and also its relation to lateralized cortical and deep-subcortical brain structures. Of especial interest is the study of the interaction between emotional components; for example, between emotion generation and emotion regulation. Finally, emerging evidence from lesion studies is presented regarding the neural basis of emotion-regulation strategies, for which the issue of laterality seems most relevant. It is proposed that, because emotion-regulation strategies are complex higher-order cognitive processes, the question appears to be not the lateralization of the entire emotional process, but the lateralization of the specific cognitive tools we use to manage our feelings, in a range of different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hugh Turnbull
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, Wales, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Christian Eduardo Salas
- Clinical Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Psychology, Diego Portales University, Santiago 8370076, Chile;
- Centre for Human Neuroscience and Neuropsychology (CEHNN), Faculty of Psychology, Diego Portales University, Santiago 8370076, Chile
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Fusaro M, Lisi MP, Tieri G, Aglioti SM. Heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people's reactivity to virtual caresses on their embodied avatars' taboo zones. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2221. [PMID: 33500486 PMCID: PMC7838160 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81168-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Embodying an artificial agent through immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to feeling vicariously somatosensory stimuli on one's body which are in fact never delivered. To explore whether vicarious touch in IVR reflects the basic individual and social features of real-life interpersonal interactions we tested heterosexual men/women and gay men/lesbian women reacting subjectively and physiologically to the observation of a gender-matched virtual body being touched on intimate taboo zones (like genitalia) by male and female avatars. All participants rated as most erogenous caresses on their embodied avatar taboo zones. Crucially, heterosexual men/women and gay men/lesbian women rated as most erogenous taboo touches delivered by their opposite and same gender avatar, respectively. Skin conductance was maximal when taboo touches were delivered by female avatars. Our study shows that IVR may trigger realistic experiences and ultimately allow the direct exploration of sensitive societal and individual issues that can otherwise be explored only through imagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Fusaro
- Sapienza, Università degli Studi di Roma & CLNS@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
- Social Neuroscience Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Matteo P Lisi
- Sapienza, Università degli Studi di Roma & CLNS@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- Social Neuroscience Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetano Tieri
- Social Neuroscience Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Virtual Reality Lab, University of Rome Unitelma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- Sapienza, Università degli Studi di Roma & CLNS@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
- Social Neuroscience Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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Maister L, Fotopoulou A, Turnbull O, Tsakiris M. The Erogenous Mirror: Intersubjective and Multisensory Maps of Sexual Arousal in Men and Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 49:2919-2933. [PMID: 32533518 PMCID: PMC7641941 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01756-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Erogenous zones of the body are sexually arousing when touched. Previous investigations of erogenous zones were restricted to the effects of touch on one's own body. However, sexual interactions do not just involve being touched, but also involve touching a partner and mutually looking at each other's bodies. We take a novel interpersonal approach to characterize the self-reported intensity and distribution of erogenous zones in two modalities: touch and vision. A large internet sample of 613 participants (407 women) completed a questionnaire, where they rated intensity of sexual arousal related to different body parts, both on one's own body and on an imagined partner's body in response to being touched but also being looked at. We report the presence of a multimodal erogenous mirror between sexual partners, as we observed clear correspondences in topographic distributions of self-reported arousal between individuals' own bodies and their preferences for a partner's body, as well as between those elicited by imagined touch and vision. The erogenous body is therefore organized and represented in an interpersonal and multisensory way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maister
- School of Psychology, College of Human Sciences, Prifysgol Bangor University, Gwynedd, Wales, LL57 2AS, UK.
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK.
| | - Aikaterini Fotopoulou
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Turnbull
- School of Psychology, College of Human Sciences, Prifysgol Bangor University, Gwynedd, Wales, LL57 2AS, UK
| | - Manos Tsakiris
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
- The Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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The role of anterior and posterior insula in male genital response and in visual attention: an exploratory multimodal fMRI study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18463. [PMID: 33116146 PMCID: PMC7595210 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74681-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies highlighted the role of insula on several functions and in sexual behavior. This exploratory study examines the relationships among genital responses, brain responses, and eye movements, to disentangle the role played by the anterior and posterior insula during different stages of male sexual response and during visual attention to sexual stimuli. In 19 healthy men, fMRI, eye movement, and penile tumescence data were collected during a visual sexual stimulation task. After a whole-brain analysis comparing neutral and sexual clips and confirming a role for the bilateral insulae, we selected two bilateral seed regions in anterior and posterior insula for functional connectivity analysis. Single-ROI-GLMs were run for the FC target regions. Single-ROI-GLMs were performed based on areas to which participants fixate: “Faces”, “Genitals,” and “Background” with the contrast “Genitals > Faces”. Single-ROI-GLMs with baseline, onset, and sustained PT response for the sexual clips were performed. We found stronger effects for the posterior than the anterior insula. In the target regions of the posterior insula, we found three different pathways: the first involved in visual attention, onset of erection, and sustained erection; the second involved only in the onset of erection, and the third limited to sustained erection.
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Male Urogenital System Mapped Onto the Sensory Cortex: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence. J Sex Med 2020; 17:603-613. [PMID: 31953029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The projection of the human male urogenital system onto the paracentral lobule has not previously been mapped comprehensively. AIM To map specific urogenital structures onto the primary somatosensory cortex toward a better understanding of sexual response in men. METHODS Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we mapped primary somatosensory cortical responses to self-stimulation of the penis shaft, glans, testicles, scrotum, rectum, urethra, prostate, perineum, and nipple. We further compared neural response with erotic and prosaic touch of the penile shaft. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE We identified the primary mapping site of urogenital structures on the paracentral lobule and identified networks involved in perceiving touch as erotic. RESULTS We mapped sites on the primary somatosensory cortex to which components of the urogenital structures project in men. Evidence is provided that penile cutaneous projection is different from deep penile projection. Similar to a prior report in women, we show that the nipple projects to the same somatosensory cortical region as the genitals. Evidence of differential representation of erotic and nonerotic genital self-stimulation is also provided, the former activating sensory networks other than the primary sensory cortex, indicating a role of "top-down" activity in erotic response. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS We map primary sites of projection of urogenital structures to the primary somatosensory cortex and differentiate cortical sites of erotic from nonerotic genital self-stimulation. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive mapping onto the primary somatosensory cortex of the projection of the components of the urogenital system in men and the difference in cortical activation in response to erotic vs nonerotic self-stimulation. The nipple was found to project to the same cortical region as the genitals. Evidence is provided that superficial and deep penile stimulation project differentially to the cortex, suggesting that sensory innervation of the penis is provided by more than the (pudendal) dorsal nerve. CONCLUSION This study reconciles prior apparently conflicting findings and offers a comprehensive mapping of male genital components to the paracentral lobule. We provide evidence of differential projection of light touch vs pressure applied to the penile shaft, suggesting differential innervation of its superficial, vs deep structure. Similar to the response in women, we found nipple projection to genital areas of the paracentral lobule. We also provide evidence of differential representation of erotic and nonerotic genital self-stimulation, the former activating sensory networks other than the primary sensory cortex, indicating a role of top-down activity in erotic response. Allen K, Wise N, Frangos E, et al. Male Urogenital System Mapped Onto the Sensory Cortex: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence. J Sex Med 2020;17:603-613.
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Dissociable sources of erogeneity in social touch: Imagining and perceiving C-Tactile optimal touch in erogenous zones. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203039. [PMID: 30142185 PMCID: PMC6108496 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research points to two major hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which touch can be experienced as erotogenic. The first concerns the body part to which touch is applied (erogenous zones) and the second the modality of touch (sensual touch optimal in activating C Tactile afferents). In this study, we explored for the first time the relation between those two mechanisms in actual and imagined social touch. In a first experiment, we randomly assigned “Giver” and “Receiver” roles within 19 romantic couples (20 females, 18 males, age 32.34 ± 8.71SD years) and asked the “Giver” to apply CT-optimal (3 cm/s) vs. CT-suboptimal (18 cm/s) touch on an erogenous (neck) vs. non-erogenous zone (forehead) of their partner. We then obtained ratings of pleasantness and sexual arousal from both “Receivers” and “Givers”. In a second experiment, 32 healthy females (age 25.16 ± 5.91SD years) were asked to imagine CT-optimal vs. CT-suboptimal stimulation (stroking vs. patting) and velocity (3 cm/s vs. 18 cm/s) on different erogenous vs. non-erogenous zones and rate pleasantness. While both erogenous body part and CT-optimal, sensual touch were found to increase pleasant and erotic sensations, the results showed a lack of an interaction. Furthermore, pleasantness was induced by mere imagination of touch without any tactile stimulation, and touch that was sexually arousing for the receiver was rated as more sexually arousing for the giver as well, pointing to top-down, learned expectations of sensory pleasure and erogeneity. Taken together, these studies provide the first direct evidence that while both the body location to which touch is applied and the mode of touch contribute to pleasant and erotic sensations, these two factors appear to mediate subjective pleasantness and erogeneity by, at least partly, independent mechanisms.
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Levin RJ, Both S, Georgiadis J, Kukkonen T, Park K, Yang CC. The Physiology of Female Sexual Function and the Pathophysiology of Female Sexual Dysfunction (Committee 13A). J Sex Med 2017; 13:733-59. [PMID: 27114190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The article consists of six sections written by separate authors that review female genital anatomy, the physiology of female sexual function, and the pathophysiology of female sexual dysfunction but excluding hormonal aspects. AIM To review the physiology of female sexual function and the pathophysiology of female sexual dysfunction especially since 2010 and to make specific recommendations according to the Oxford Centre for evidence based medicine (2009) "levels of evidence" wherever relevant. CONCLUSION Recommendations were made for particular studies to be undertaken especially in controversial aspects in all six sections of the reviewed topics. Despite numerous laboratory assessments of female sexual function, genital assessments alone appear insufficient to characterise fully the complete sexual response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy J Levin
- Reader in Physiology (Retired), Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK: Section 2.
| | - Stephanie Both
- Department of Psychosomatic Gynecology and Sexology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands: Section 3
| | - Janniko Georgiadis
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands: Section 4
| | - Tuuli Kukkonen
- College of Social and Applied Human Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada: Section 6
| | - Kwangsung Park
- Department of Urology, Chonnan National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea: Section 5
| | - Claire C Yang
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA: Section 1
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Gass JS, Onstad M, Pesek S, Rojas K, Fogarty S, Stuckey A, Raker C, Dizon DS. Breast-Specific Sensuality and Sexual Function in Cancer Survivorship: Does Surgical Modality Matter? Ann Surg Oncol 2017; 24:3133-3140. [DOI: 10.1245/s10434-017-5905-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Misery L, Talagas M. Innervation of the Male Breast: Psychological and Physiological Consequences. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2017; 22:109-115. [PMID: 28551701 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-017-9380-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Breasts, including the nipple and areola, have two functions: lactation and as an erogenous area. Male breasts are much less studied that those of women. In men, breasts have only an erotic function. Because there is dense and very well organized innervation of the nipple-areola complex in men, nipple erection occurs frequently and via different mechanisms from penile erection. Although it seems to be less important for men than for women and it is poorly studied, the erotic value of breast stimulation is notable. Consequently, there is a need to include this aspect in sexological and andrological studies and to preserve breasts and their innervation or to reconstruct them in cases of surgical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Misery
- Laboratory of Neurosciences of Brest, University of Western Brittany, Brest, France.
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, University Hospital of Brest, 29609, Brest, France.
| | - Matthieu Talagas
- Laboratory of Neurosciences of Brest, University of Western Brittany, Brest, France
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
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Wunsch S. Le développement des activités autoérotiques. Une analyse transdisciplinaire et transculturelle. SEXOLOGIES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sexol.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Principaux facteurs, contextes et variations du développement sexuel humain. Une synthèse transculturelle et transdisciplinaire. 2e partie : modélisation. SEXOLOGIES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sexol.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Nummenmaa L, Suvilehto JT, Glerean E, Santtila P, Hietanen JK. Topography of Human Erogenous Zones. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:1207-1216. [PMID: 27091187 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0745-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Touching is a powerful means for eliciting sexual arousal. Here, we establish the topographical organization of bodily regions triggering sexual arousal in humans. A total of 704 participants were shown images of same and opposite sex bodies and asked to color the bodily regions whose touching they or members of the opposite sex would experience as sexually arousing while masturbating or having sex with a partner. Resulting erogenous zone maps (EZMs) revealed that the whole body was sensitive to sexual touching, with erogenous hotspots consisting of genitals, breasts, and anus. The EZM area was larger while having sex with a partner versus while masturbating, and was also dependent on sexual desire and heterosexual and homosexual interest levels. We conclude that tactile stimulation of practically all bodily regions may trigger sexual arousal. Extension of the erogenous zones while having sex with a partner may reflect the role of touching in maintenance of reproductive pair bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Nummenmaa
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland.
- Turku PET Centre and Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Juulia T Suvilehto
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, School of Science, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Pekka Santtila
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jari K Hietanen
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, School of Social Sciences and Humanities/Psychology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
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Jönsson EH, Backlund Wasling H, Wagnbeck V, Dimitriadis M, Georgiadis JR, Olausson H, Croy I. Unmyelinated Tactile Cutaneous Nerves Signal Erotic Sensations. J Sex Med 2015; 12:1338-45. [DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Salas Riquelme CE, Radovic D, Castro O, Turnbull OH. Internally and externally generated emotions in people with acquired brain injury: preservation of emotional experience after right hemisphere lesions. Front Psychol 2015; 6:101. [PMID: 25762951 PMCID: PMC4329804 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of emotional changes after brain injury has contributed enormously to the understanding of the neural basis of emotion. However, little attention has been placed on the methods used to elicit emotional responses in people with brain damage. Of particular interest are subjects with right hemisphere [RH] cortical lesions, who have been described as presenting impairment in emotional processing. In this article, an internal and external mood induction procedure [MIP] was used to trigger positive and negative emotions, in a sample of 10 participants with RH damage, and 15 healthy controls. Emotional experience was registered by using a self-report questionnaire. As observed in previous studies, internal and external MIPs were equally effective in eliciting the target emotion, but the internal procedure generated higher levels of intensity. Remarkably, participants with RH lesions were equally able to experience both positive and negative affect. The results are discussed in relation to the role of the RH in the capacity to experience negative emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E Salas Riquelme
- Head Forward Rehabilitation Centre Manchester, UK ; School of Psychology, College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bangor University Bangor, UK
| | - Darinka Radovic
- Manchester Institute of Education, Manchester University Manchester, UK
| | - Osvaldo Castro
- Escuela de Terapia Ocupacional, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile Santiago, Chile
| | - Oliver H Turnbull
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bangor University Bangor, UK
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Cazala F, Vienney N, Stoléru S. The cortical sensory representation of genitalia in women and men: a systematic review. SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 5:26428. [PMID: 25766001 PMCID: PMC4357265 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v5.26428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2014] [Revised: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Although genital sensations are an essential aspect of sexual behavior, the cortical somatosensory representation of genitalia in women and men remain poorly known and contradictory results have been reported. Objective To conduct a systematic review of studies based on electrophysiological and functional neuroimaging studies, with the aim to identify insights brought by modern methods since the early descriptions of the sensory homunculus in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Results The review supports the interpretation that there are two distinct representations of genital sensations in SI, one on the medial surface and the other on the lateral surface. In addition, the review suggests that the secondary somatosensory cortex and the posterior insula support a representation of the affective aspects of genital sensation. Conclusion In view of the erogenous character of sensations originating in the genitalia, future studies on this topic should systematically assess qualitatively as well as quantitatively the sexually stimulating and/or sexually pleasurable characteristics of sensations felt by subjects in response to experimental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadwa Cazala
- INSERM U669, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | | | - Serge Stoléru
- INSERM U669, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France;
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Georgiadis JR. Functional neuroanatomy of human cortex cerebri in relation to wanting sex and having it. Clin Anat 2015; 28:314-23. [DOI: 10.1002/ca.22528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janniko R. Georgiadis
- Department of Neuroscience/Section Anatomy; University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen; The Netherlands
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Recreation and procreation: A critical view of sex in the human female. Clin Anat 2014; 28:339-54. [DOI: 10.1002/ca.22495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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