FMRI localization of spinal cord processing underlying female sexual arousal.

J Sex Marital Ther. 2015 Jan 30;:0

Authors: Alexander MS, Kozyrev N, Bosma RL, Figley CR, Richards JS, Stroman PW

Abstract
Abstract Aim: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), our aim was to determine the role(s) of the human spinal cord (SC) in mediating sexual responses in females. Methods: Functional MRI of the entire lower thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord (SC) was performed using a sexual stimulation paradigm designed to elicit psychological and physical components of sexual arousal. Responses were measured in nine healthy adult females during three consecutive conditions: 1) erotic audio-visual, 2) manual clitoral, and 3) audiovisual plus manual stimulation. Results: Functional MRI results in healthy subjects demonstrate that this method is sensitive for mapping sexual function in the spinal cord, and identify several key regions involved in human sexual response, including the intermediolateral cell column (IML), the dorsal commissural nucleus (DCN) and the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN). Conclusions: Using spinal fMRI, this study identified many of the SC regions involved in female sexual responses. Results from audiovisual and manual clitoral stimulation correspond with previous data regarding lumbar and sacral neurologic changes during sexual arousal. This study provides the first characterization of neural activity in the human spinal cord underlying healthy female sexual responses, and sets a foundation for future studies aimed at mapping changes that result from sexual dysfunction, spinal cord trauma or disease.

PMID: 25635474 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]