title: Neural underpinnings of prosexual effects induced by gamma-hydroxybutyrate in healthy male humans.
abstract: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a GHB-/GABAB-receptor agonist currently used as treatment for narcolepsy but also as a drug of abuse. Non-medical GHB users have repeatedly reported prosexual effects including libido-enhancement and lowering of attractiveness standards for partner selection. Here, we examined the putative prosexual effects of oral GHB in healthy males in two experiments both employing randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced, and cross-over study designs. In experiment I, subjective effects of 20 and 35mg/kg GHB vs. placebo were tested in 32 participants using the Sexual Arousal and Desire Inventory. In experiment II, brain reactivity towards erotic vs. neutral pictures was investigated in 15 participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging after 35mg/kg GHB vs. placebo. In experiment I, prosexual effects of GHB were shown by increased SADI ratings regarding physiological, evaluative, and motivational aspects of sexual arousal. In experiment II, erotic visual stimuli activated the bilateral insula, nucleus accumbens (NAcc), fusiform gyrus, thalamus, and left occipital pole under placebo. After GHB administration, even sexually neutral pictures of persons induced subjective sexual arousal and increased activation of the bilateral NAcc and right anterior cingulate cortex, which significantly correlated (left NAcc by trend). Moreover, a psychophysiological interaction analysis showed that GHB increased connectivity between NAcc and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during processing of visual erotic cues, i.e., in the condition in which subjective sexual arousal was highest. Our data show that GHB stimulates hedonic sexual functioning and lowers the threshold for erotic perception, which is related to increased susceptibility of mesolimbic reward pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: oliver.bosch@bli.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Oliver G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Havranek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baumberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katrin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Preller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Rotz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herdener
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kraehenmann
authors.affiliation: MR-Center of the Psychiatry Hospital and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staempfli
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, 57076 Siegen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klucken
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seifritz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Boris B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Quednow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Aphrodisiac; Date rape drug; PPI; Reward system; Sodium oxybate; Ventral striatum