title: Brain activation patterns in women with acquired hypoactive sexual desire disorder and women with normal sexual function: a cross-sectional pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine and compare brain activation patterns of premenopausal women with normal sexual function and those with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) during viewing of validated sexually explicit film clips.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based clinical research center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Areas of brain activation during viewing of sexually explicit film clips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with normal sexual function showed significantly greater activation of the right thalamus, left insula, left precentral gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus in comparison with women with HSDD, who exhibited greater activation of the right medial frontal gyrus and left precuneus regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with HSDD may have alterations in activation of limbic and cortical structures responsible for acquiring, encoding, and retrieving memory, the processing and memory of emotional reactions, and areas responsible for heightened attention to one's own physical state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: tlwoodard@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Terri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: Nicole T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balon
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tancer
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Diamond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D058256:Brain Waves; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017697:Premenopause; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014741:Video Recording; D014796:Visual Perception
keywords: Brain activation patterns; female sexual dysfunction; functional neuroimaging; hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD); sexual stimuli