Baird Amee D, Wilson Sarah J, Bladin Peter F, Saling Michael M, Reutens David C
School of Behavioural Science, Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Ann Neurol. 2004 Jan;55(1):87-96. doi: 10.1002/ana.10997.
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the amygdala and human sex drive. We compared amygdalar volume in groups of patients with or without sexual changes after temporal lobe resection and in age-matched neurologically normal subjects. Forty-five patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent surgical resection in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre completed a semistructured interview and questionnaire relating to sexual outcome after surgery. Volumetric analyses of both amygdalae were conducted on the patients' preoperative T(1)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans and those of 46 neurologically normal controls. Patients who reported a postoperative sexual increase had a significantly larger amygdalar volume contralateral to the site of their resective surgery than patients with a sexual decrease or no change than control subjects. There was a significant positive relationship between contralateral amygdalar volume and the maximum degree of sexual change. We have demonstrated a relationship between contralateral amygdalar volume and sexual outcome in patients undergoing temporal lobe resection. This finding provides evidence for an important role of the amygdala in regulating human sexual behavior. A larger contralateral amygdala may contribute to the expression of increased or improved sexuality after temporal lobe resection.
本研究的目的是探讨杏仁核与人类性欲之间的关系。我们比较了颞叶切除术后有或没有性变化的患者组以及年龄匹配的神经功能正常受试者的杏仁核体积。45例在奥斯汀和遣返医疗中心综合癫痫项目中接受手术切除的顽固性颞叶癫痫患者完成了一项与术后性结果相关的半结构化访谈和问卷调查。对患者术前的T(1)加权磁共振成像扫描以及46名神经功能正常对照者的扫描进行了双侧杏仁核的体积分析。报告术后性欲增强的患者，其切除手术部位对侧的杏仁核体积明显大于性欲减退或无变化的患者以及对照受试者。对侧杏仁核体积与性变化的最大程度之间存在显著的正相关关系。我们已经证明了在接受颞叶切除术的患者中，对侧杏仁核体积与性结果之间的关系。这一发现为杏仁核在调节人类性行为中的重要作用提供了证据。较大的对侧杏仁核可能有助于颞叶切除术后性欲增强或改善的表现。
