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Abstract
Purpose
Low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) is a kind of functional imaging technique and it is also an up-to-date technique for conducting electroencephalography (EEG) analysis. We tried to investigate the locations on the cerebral cortex that are activated by visually stimulated sexual arousal.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-three male volunteers (age range: 24.7±1.7 years) among all the right-handed medical students at our university were enrolled in this study. The EEGs included the segments recorded during resting, watching a music-video, intermission and watching a porno-video. The LORETA images of the cross-spectral analysis were obtained with using segments of LORETA-KEY (KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, Switzerland) software.
Results
In the statistical nonparametric m aps (SnPM) of each spectrum and the delta, theta and alpha waves did not show the increased current density. The beta 1, 2 and 3 activity showed the point of maximal current densities in the anterior parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe and the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the superior temporal gyrus of the right temporal lobe, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus of the left frontal lobe, the middle occipital gyrus of the right occipital lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes and the superior frontal gyrus of the right frontal lobe.
Conclusions
The sexual arousal by visual stimulation may activate the anterior parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus of the left frontal gyrus, and the middle occipital gyrus of the right occipital lobe.
Figures and Tables
Fig. 1
The anatomical areas of current density increment of the beta 1 (13-18Hz) band induced by visual-sexual arousal. The current density is increased in the parahippocampal gyrus, the superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere and the superior temporal gyrus of the right hemisphere.
Fig. 2
The anatomical areas of current density increment of the beta 2 (19-21Hz) band induced by visual-sexual arousal. The current density is increased in the superior temporal gyrus of the right hemisphere.
Fig. 3
The anatomical areas of current density increment of the beta 3 (22-30Hz) band induced by visual-sexual arousal. The current density is increased in the superior temporal gyrus, the precuneus and the middle occipital gyrus of the right hemisphere, and the medial frontal gyrus of the left hemisphere.
Table 1
The maximal points of current density of the beta
LL: limbic lobe, TL: temporal lobe, PL: parietal lobe, FL: frontal lobe, OL: occipital lobe, Lt: left, Rt: right. The beta 1, 2 and 3 activity showed the point of maximal current densities in the anterior parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe and the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the superior temporal gyrus of the right temporal lobe, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus of the left frontal lobe, the middle occipital gyrus of the right occipital lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes and the superior frontal gyrus of the right frontal lobe.
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