Opposed left and right brain hemisphere contributions to sexual drive: a multiple lesion case analysis.
Brain topographical studies of normal men have have shown that sexual excitation is asymmetric in the brain hemispheres. Group studies of patients with unilateral epileptic foci and other studies of patients with unilateral brain lesions have come to the same conclusion. The present study reviewed previously published single case reports of patients with frank hypo or hypersexuality subsequent to a unilateral brain lesion. Hyposexual patients tended to have left hemisphere lesions (primarily of the temporal lobe), and hypersexual patients tended to have right hemisphere lesions (primarily of the temporal lobe) (p < 0.05). We interpret this double dissociation as part of a more general phenomenon of psychic tone similarly dissociated with regard to hemispheric control, including mood, psychomotor baseline, speech rate, and even immunity. The behavioral significance of this psychic tone is to modulate approach versus avoidance behavior.
Braun
Claude M J
CM
Centre de Neurosciences de la Cognition and Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ "Centre-Ville", Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8. Braun.Claude@uqam.ca
Dumont
Mathieu
M
Duval
Julie
J
Hamel
Isabelle
I
Godbout
Lucie
L
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004328:Drive; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000209:etiology