Human Sexual Response

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I. Introduction to the human sexual response

A.Definition of sexual arousal

B.Differentiation of cognitive vs reflex erection

C.Models of sexual response patterns

D.Intro to central vs peripheral nervous systems

E.General intro to the brain areas activated in arousal

F.Gender differences and why we’re only considering boys

II. Information processing of sexual stimuli (1st component of sexual response)

A.Detection of sexually-salient stimuli

III. General arousal raising mechanisms (2nd component)

A.Locus coeruleus/noradrenaline

B.Studies of the transference of general to sexual arousal

IV. Motivational processing (3rd component)

A.Developmental and genetic considerations

B.Incentive values

C.Neural correlates of motivational processing (intro: amygdala, ACC)

D.Hierarchical levels of motivational control

i. Intro to levels of control

ii. Low level control (mesolimbic)

iii. High level control (prefrontal)

V. Inhibitory processes of sexual arousal

A.. Bancroft’s dual control model

B. Definition of inhibition: goal-directed, aversion-related, and neurotransmitter

C. Neural correlates of inhibition

D. Neurotransmitters involved in inhibition

i. Serotonin

ii.GABA

iii. Opioids

iv. Prolactin

v. Vasopressin

vi. Neuropeptides

vii. Stress and anxiety

E. Summary of neurotransmitters involved in sexual response

VI. Genital processes (4th component)

A. Note on reflexive erections

B. Supraspinal/central actions

i. Hypothalamic pathways

C. Androgens and oestrogens

i. Testosterone

ii. Oestrogens

iii. Balance between these steroids

D. Peripheral actions

i. Nerves innervating the penis

ii. Description of the ANS

iii. Sympathetic nervous system
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... middle of paper ...

...nto penile tissue, both directly mediated by parasympathetic afferents. The dilation and relaxation of these areas cause the usually flaccid internal pudendal arteries to fill with blood while venous output is remains constant, resulting in more blood entering the penis than leaves it. This rising pressure causes the penis to enlarge and extend, with the erection maintained by the bulbocavernosus and ischiocavernosus muscles.



Ascending genital sensory input also plays an important role in central processing and initiation of erection and sexual arousal. Areas which receive afferents from the penis include the caudal thalamic intralaminar nuclei (Heath, 1964), which is the terminal point for this pathway, and the medullary reticular formation (Hubscher & Johnson, 1996), hypothalamus (Wersinger et al., 1993), and periaqueductal gray (Steer, 2000) along the way.

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