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Sex for fun: a synthesis of human and animal neurobiology

Nature Reviews Urology volume 9, pages 486–498 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Sex is a fundamental pleasure, and crucial to the survival of our species. Though not many people would disagree with the proposition that sexual behaviour depends on the brain, the neuroscientific study of human sex is still relatively taboo and much remains to be discovered. On the contrary, excellent experimental animal models (mostly rat) are available that have uncovered major behavioural, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical characteristics of sexual behaviour. Restructuring sexual behaviour into broader terms reflecting behavioural states (wanting, liking, and inhibition) facilitates species comparison, revealing many similarities between animal and human sexual pleasure cycles, some of which can serve as potential avenues of new human sex research. In particular, behavioural and brain evidence clearly shows that motivational and consummatory phases are fundamentally distinct, and that genitally-induced sexual reward is a major factor in sexual learning mechanisms.

Key Points

  • Restructuring sexual behaviour into broader terms reflecting behavioural states (wanting, liking, and inhibition) facilitates species comparison; similarities between animal and human sexual pleasure cycles can serve as potential avenues of new human sex research

  • Sexual wanting in both rats and humans involves interaction between gonadal hormones and external stimuli that become sexual incentives through association with genitally-induced sexual reward; pleasurable genital stimulation is thus a major factor in sexual learning

  • In terms of underlying brain networks and neurochemistry identified in both rat and human, wanting sex is something completely different to liking sex

  • Sexual inhibition involves similar brain mechanisms in rats and humans

  • Rats show a similar pattern of brain activation to humans in response to cues related to sexual reward

  • Cortical, limbic, hypothalamic, and cerebellar regions are activated by sex-related stimuli in both humans and rats

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Figure 1: The sexual pleasure cycle.
Figure 2: Partnered stimulation protocols (PSPs) to study the central mechanisms of human sexual consummation.
Figure 3: Scheme representing the most important neurobiological and behavioural elements of sexual responsiveness, as well as the interaction between them.
Figure 4: Neural systems critical for the display of unconditioned and conditioned sexual behaviour in the rat.

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Acknowledgements

MLK was funded by TrygFonden Charitable Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience (Section Anatomy), University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713AV, The Netherlands

    Janniko R. Georgiadis

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

    Morten L. Kringelbach

  3. Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, L-SP A247-3, 7141 Sherbrooke W., Montréal, H4B 1R6, QC, Canada

    James G. Pfaus

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  1. Janniko R. Georgiadis
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  2. Morten L. Kringelbach
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  3. James G. Pfaus
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All authors were involved in researching data for the article, discussing content, writing and reviewing the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Janniko R. Georgiadis.

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Georgiadis, J., Kringelbach, M. & Pfaus, J. Sex for fun: a synthesis of human and animal neurobiology. Nat Rev Urol 9, 486–498 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2012.151

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