A new potential of blood oxygenation level dependent (bold) functional mri for evaluating cerebral centers of penile erection

ABSTRACT It is well known that penile erection is dependent on commands from the central nervous system. However, there has been little research on the central control of penile erection.

The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the cerebral centers of penile erection using BOLD-functional MRI. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a 1.5T MR

scanner was performed in 12 sexually potent male volunteers (mean age: 23) and two hypogonadal impotent patients. In this study, blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) technique was

utilized to create fMRI reflecting local brain activities. Real-time visual stimulation was performed with an alternatively combined erotic and non-erotic film to identify and quantify the

activated brain regions associated with sexual response. Subjective sexual arousal and penile erection responses were assessed using 5-point scales ranging from 1 (no change) to 5 (maximal

increase). In normal volunteers, the mean scores on subjective sexual arousal and penile erection by sexual stimulation with erotic film were 3.0 and 3.3 respectively, whereas there were no

changes by non-erotic stimulation. During the visual stimulation the occipital cortex was activated by either an erotic or non-erotic film, the erotic film gave 150–200% stronger activation.

However, more than seven of the 12 healthy subjects were significantly activated in the areas of inferior frontal lobe, cingulate gyrus, insula gyrus, corpus callosum, thalamus, caudate

nucleus, globus pallidus, and inferior temporal lobe by erotic stimulation. In the hypogonadal patients, brain activation in response to the erotic film decreased compared to normal

volunteers, however, it was restored by testosterone supplementation. These results are the first demonstration to show the functional neuroanatomy of the brain associated with sexual

arousal by visual sexual stimulation using BOLD-based fMRI. Further studies are needed to verify that fMRI provides an important new tool in evaluating the cerebral center of the penile

erection. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to

this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy

now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer

support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS THE ROLE OF ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR INSULA IN MALE GENITAL RESPONSE AND IN VISUAL ATTENTION: AN EXPLORATORY MULTIMODAL FMRI STUDY Article Open

access 28 October 2020 A PSYCHOPHYSICAL AND NEUROIMAGING ANALYSIS OF GENITAL HEDONIC SENSATION IN MEN Article Open access 17 June 2022 WOMEN AND MEN WITH DISTRESSING LOW SEXUAL DESIRE

EXHIBIT SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC BRAIN PROCESSING Article Open access 14 May 2024 REFERENCES * Lue TF. . Drug therapy; erectile dysfunction. _New Engl J Med_ 2000 342, 1802–1813. Article  CAS 

Google Scholar  * Chuang AT, Steers WD. . Neurophysiology of the penile erection. In: Carson C, Kirby R, Goldstein L (eds). _Textbook of Erectile Dysfunction._ ISIS Medical Book: Oxford 1999

59–72. Google Scholar  * Marson L. . Central nervous system control. In: Carson C, Kirby R, Goldstein L (eds). _Textbook of Erectile dysfunction._ ISIS Medical Book: Oxford 1999 73–88.

Google Scholar  * McKenna KE. . Central control of penile erection. _Int J Impot Res_ 1998 10(SUPPL), S25–S34. Google Scholar  * McKenna K. . The brain is the master organ in sexual

function: central nervous system control of male and female sexual function. _Int J Impot Res_ 1999 11(SUPPL), S48–S55. Article  Google Scholar  * Giuliano F _et al_.Stimulation of the

medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus in the rat elicits increases in intracavernous pressure. _Neurosci Lett_ 1996 209, 1–4. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Shimura T, Yamamoto T,

Shimokochi M. . The medial preoptic area is involved in both sexual arousal and performance in male rats; re-evaluation of neuron activity in freely moving animals. _Brain Res_ 1994 640,

215–222. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * George MS, Ketter TA, Post RM. . SPECT and PET imaging in mood disorders. _J Clin Psychiatry_ 1993 54, 6–13. PubMed  Google Scholar  * Stoleru S _et

al_.Neuroanatomical correlates of visually evoked sexual arousal in human males. _Archives of Sexual Behavior_ 1999 28, 1–21. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Ring HA, George M, Costa DC, Ell

PJ. . The use of cerebral activation procedures with single photon emission tomography. _Eur J Nucl Med_ 1991 18, 133–141. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Stehling MK, Turner R, Mansfield

P. . Echo-planar imaging; magnetic resonance imaging in a fraction of a second. _Science_ 1991 254, 43–50. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Longworth C, Honey G, Sharma T. . Functional

magnetic resonance imaging in neuropsychiatry. _Br J Med_ 1999 319, 1551–1554. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Ogawa S _et al_.Barin magnetic resonance imaging with contrast dependent on

blood oxygenation. _Proc Natl Acad Sci USA_ 1990 87, 9868–9872. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Cho ZH _et al_.New findings of the correlation between acupoints and corresponding brain

cortices using functional MRI. _Proc Natl Acad Sci USA_ 1998 95, 2670–2673. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Nemeroff CB, Kilts CD, Berns GS. . Functional brain imaging; twenty-first century

phrenology or psychobiological advance for the millennium. _Am J Psychiatry_ 1999 156, 671–673. CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Villringer A, Dirnagl U. . Coupling of brain activity and

cerebral blood flow; basis of functional neuroimaging. _Cerebrovasc Brain Metab Rev_ 1995 7, 240–276. CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Morgan JI, Cohen DR, Hempstead, JL, Curran T. . Mapping

patterns of c-fos expression in the central nervous system after seizure. _Science_ 1987 237, 192–196. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Kuypers HCJM, Ugolina G. . Viruses as transneuronal

tracers. _Trends Neurosci_ 1990 13, 71–75. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Coolen LM, Peters HJPW, Veening JG. . Fos immunoreactivity in the rat brain following cosummatory elements of

sexual behavior, a sex comparison. _Brain Res_ 1996 738, 67–82. Article  Google Scholar  * Marson L, Platt KB, McKenna KE. . Central nervous system innervation of the penis as revealed by

the transneuronal transport of pseudorabies virus. _Neuroscience_ 1993 55, 263–280. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Chen KK, Chan SHH, Chang LS, Chan JYH. . Participation of paraventricular

nucleus of hypothalamus in central regulation of penile erection in the rat. _J Urol_ 1997 158, 238–244. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Guyton AC. . _Basic Neuroscience; Anatomy and

Physiology._ Saunders: Philadelphia 1991 254–264. Google Scholar  * Meisel RL, Sachs BD. . The physiology of male sexual behavior. In: Knobil E, Neill JD (eds). _The Physiology of

Reproduction._ Raven Press: New York 1994 3–104. Google Scholar  * Simerly RB, Swanson LW. . The organization of neural inputs to the medial preoptic nucleus of the rat. _J Comp Neurol_ 1986

246, 312–342. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Sar M, Stumpf WE. . Distribution of androgen concentrating neurons in the rat brain. In: Stumpf WE, Grant LD (eds). _Anatomical

Neuroendocrinology._ Karger: Basel 1975 120–133. Google Scholar  * Maillard-Gutekunst CA, Edwards DA. . Preoptic and sub-thalamic connections with the caudal brainstem are important for

copulation in the male rat. _Behavioral Neuroscience_ 1994 108, 758–766. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Devinsky O, Morrell MJ, Vogt BA. . Contributions of anterior cingulate cortex to

behaviour. _Brain_ 1995 118, 279–306. Article  Google Scholar  * Goldenberg G _et al_.Contributions of occipital and temporal brain regions to visual and acoustic imagery-a spect study.

_Neuropsychologia_ 1991 29, 695–702. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Cunningham GR, Hirshkowitz M. . Androgen deficiency. In: Hellstrom WJG (ed). _Male Infertility and Sexual Dysfunction._

Springer: New York 1997 340–355. Chapter  Google Scholar  * Greco B, Edwards DA, Michael RP, Clancy AN. . Androgen receptor immunoreactivity and mating-induced Fos expression in forebrain

and midbrain structures in the male rat. _Neuroscience_ 1996 75, 161–171. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Tiihonen J _et al_.Increase in cerebral blood flow of right prefrontal cortex in man

during orgasm. _Neuroscie Lett_ 1994 170, 241–243. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Nour S _et al_.Cerebral activation during micturation in normal men. _Brain_ 2000 123, 781–789. Article 

Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by a grant from Chonnam National University in the year of 2000. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * GW Jeong: This

paper has been awarded the Newmann Zorgniotti Prize at the 9th World Meeting on Impotence Research, Perth, Australia 26 – 30 November 2000. AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Urology,

Chonnam National University Medical School, Kwangju, Korea K Park & SB Ryu * Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Kwangju, Korea JJ Seo, HK Kang, HJ Kim 

& GW Jeong Authors * K Park View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * JJ Seo View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar * HK Kang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * SB Ryu View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar * HJ Kim View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * GW Jeong View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to GW Jeong. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Park, K., Seo, J., Kang, H. _et

al._ A new potential of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI for evaluating cerebral centers of penile erection. _Int J Impot Res_ 13, 73–81 (2001).

https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900649 Download citation * Published: 25 June 2001 * Issue Date: 01 April 2001 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900649 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you

share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the

Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * penile erection * cerebral center * functional MRI