Prantner Sabine, Espino-Payá Alejandro, Pastor M Carmen, Giménez-García Cristina, Kroker Thomas, Ballester-Arnal Rafael, Junghoefer Markus
Departamento de Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Spain.
Institute of Psychology, Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2024 Oct-Dec;24(4):100524. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100524. Epub 2024 Nov 26.
Pornography consumption is highly prevalent but can develop into problematic sexual behavior with severe negative emotional consequences. Neurobiological studies indicate that compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are associated with altered brain structure and function in processing pornography. This study investigated the neuroaffective mechanisms underlying exposure to erotic and explicit pornographic images and their relationship to CSB-relevant symptoms. Whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) assessed brain activity during passive viewing of opposite- and same-sex erotic and pornographic images in healthy heterosexual and homosexual women and men ( = 50). Correlations of estimated event-related neural activity with indicators of CSB (hypersexuality, sexual sensation seeking, problematic pornography use, and time spent on pornography use), mood and anxiety, as well as with subjective picture ratings of hedonic valence and emotional arousal were analyzed. Responses of brain regions to sexual content revealed hyper- and hypoactivation and were related to problematic pornography consumption, hypersexuality, time spent on pornography use, and perceived subjective arousal. The neural activation towards erotic and pornographic content revealed further significant associations with depression and anxiety scores. The findings suggest an involvement of prefrontal and temporo-parietal cortex regions in the divergent processing of sexual content in relation to indicators of CSBD. Insight into the neurobiological factors underlying CSB can contribute to a more precise clinical conceptualization of this problem and may promote the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.
色情内容消费非常普遍，但可能发展为有问题的性行为，并产生严重的负面情绪后果。神经生物学研究表明，强迫性性行为（CSB）与大脑在处理色情内容时的结构和功能改变有关。本研究调查了接触色情和露骨色情图像背后的神经情感机制，以及它们与CSB相关症状的关系。全脑磁脑电图（MEG）评估了健康异性恋和同性恋女性及男性（ = 50）在被动观看异性和同性色情及露骨色情图像时的大脑活动。分析了估计的事件相关神经活动与CSB指标（性亢进、性感觉寻求、问题性色情内容使用以及花在色情内容使用上的时间）、情绪和焦虑之间的相关性，以及与享乐价和情绪唤起的主观图片评分之间的相关性。大脑区域对性内容的反应显示出激活过度和激活不足，并且与问题性色情内容消费、性亢进、花在色情内容使用上的时间以及感知到的主观唤起有关。对色情和色情内容的神经激活还显示出与抑郁和焦虑评分有进一步的显著关联。研究结果表明，前额叶和颞顶叶皮质区域参与了与CSBD指标相关的性内容的不同处理。深入了解CSB背后的神经生物学因素有助于对这一问题进行更精确的临床概念化，并可能促进更有效治疗干预措施的发展。
