Huberman Jackie S, Mangardich Haykaz, Sabbagh Mark A, Chivers Meredith L
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Psychophysiology. 2023 Feb;60(2):e14162. doi: 10.1111/psyp.14162. Epub 2022 Aug 10.
Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies reported larger N170, P3, and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes to sexual than nonsexual stimuli. These ERPs may not be specifically sensitive to processing sexual cues, however, because the sexual stimuli included information beyond sexual cues (e.g., faces, bodies, social interaction) to a greater extent than comparison stimuli. We investigated ERPs to stimuli that focused on sexual and nonsexual body regions, in different states of readiness for activity, to elucidate neural responses involved in processing sexual cues. Forty cisgender, primarily white, undergraduate women who were attracted to men (M = 18.6, SD = 0.9) viewed images that varied by male body part (penis, arm) and activity state (rest, poised for activity). Participants viewed 40 images per category (flaccid penises, erect penises, outstretched arms, bent arms). Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded using a 128-channel net, time-locked to the onset of each image. Using a whole-head cluster-mass approach, we found that the P3 was sensitive to sexual readiness-P3 amplitudes were larger to erect than flaccid penises, but not to bent than outstretched arms. The N170 and LPP components did not show evidence of similarly specific responses to sexual readiness, revealing potential dissociation of different neural processes commonly elicited in response to more complex sexual stimuli. An additional novel finding was that an anterior N270-400 was sensitive to sexual readiness. Findings clarify the brain's rapid responses to sexual stimuli, setting the stage for future research aimed at better understanding the neurocognitive processes that contribute to the coordination of sexual arousal.
先前的事件相关电位（ERP）研究报告称，与非性刺激相比，性刺激诱发的N170、P3和晚期正电位（LPP）波幅更大。然而，这些ERP可能并非对性线索加工具有特异性敏感性，因为性刺激所包含的信息超出性线索的程度，比对照刺激更大（例如面部、身体、社会互动）。我们研究了在不同活动准备状态下，针对聚焦于性和非性身体部位的刺激所产生的ERP，以阐明参与性线索加工的神经反应。40名主要为白人的顺性别本科女性（均被男性吸引，年龄M = 18.6，标准差SD = 0.9）观看了因男性身体部位（阴茎、手臂）和活动状态（休息、准备活动）而不同的图像。参与者每种类别观看40张图像（疲软阴茎、勃起阴茎、伸展手臂、弯曲手臂）。使用128导电极帽记录脑电图（EEG），并与每张图像的起始时间锁定。采用全脑簇-质心分析方法，我们发现P3对性唤起准备敏感——勃起阴茎诱发的P3波幅大于疲软阴茎，但弯曲手臂与伸展手臂相比则不然。N170和LPP成分未显示出对性唤起准备有类似特异性反应的证据，这揭示了对更复杂的性刺激通常引发的不同神经过程可能存在分离。另外一个新发现是，前部N270 - 400对性唤起准备敏感。这些发现阐明了大脑对性刺激的快速反应，为未来旨在更好理解促成性唤起协调的神经认知过程的研究奠定了基础。
