title: Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating cerebral regions of female sexual arousal response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate, for the first time, the cerebral regions associated with female sexual arousal evoked by visual stimulation using noninvasive blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6 healthy right-handed female volunteers (mean age 33 years, range 25 to 41) underwent fMRI on a 1.5-T MR scanner, in which the BOLD technique was used to create fMR images reflecting local brain activities. Real-time visual stimulation was performed with alternatively combined erotic and nonerotic films to identify the activated brain regions associated with sexual response. The perceived sexual arousal response was assessed using a scale ranging from 1 (no change) to 5 (maximal increase).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score for perceived sexual arousal by erotic visual stimulation was 2.7 on the 5-point scale and was unchanged by nonerotic stimulation. During the visual task, the occipital cortex was activated by both the erotic and the nonerotic films; however, the following cerebral areas were significantly (P <0.05) activated, varying from 4 of 6 to 6 of 6 women: inferior frontal lobe, cingulate gyrus, insula gyrus, corpus callosum, thalamus, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and inferior temporal lobe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to evaluate noninvasive BOLD-fMRI in identifying cerebral regions associated with sexual arousal response evoked by visual stimulation in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Kwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012723:Sex