Activation of mirror-neuron system by erotic video clips predicts degree of induced erection.pdf

NeuroImage 42 (2008) 1142–1150 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect NeuroImage j ourna l homepage: www.e lsev ie / locate /yn imgActivation of mirror-neuron system by erotic video clips predicts degree of induced erection: an fMRI study H. Mouras a,b,e,f,g,?, S. Stoléru a,b,g, V. Moulier a,b,g, M. Pélégrini-Issac b,c,g, R. Rouxel a,b,g, B. Grandjean a,b,g, D. Glutron d,g, J. Bittoun d,g a Inserm, U742, 9 quai Saint Bernard, F-75005 Paris, France b Univ Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France c Inserm, U678, 91 boulevard de lh?pital, F-75634 Paris Cedex 13, France d Assistance Publique des H?pitaux de Paris, Centre Inter-Etablissements de Résonance Magnétique, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, F-94270 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France e CNRS, UMR-8160, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Fonctionnelles et Pathologies, 3 rue des Louvels, F-80036 Amiens, France f Faculté de Médecine, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, F-80036 Amiens, France g Inserm, IFR 49, SHFJ-CEA, 4 place du Général Leclerc, F-91401 Orsay, FranceAbbreviations: VSS, Visual Sexual Stimuli; VPP, volum BA, Brodmann area. ? Corresponding author. Laboratoire de Neurosciences Université de Picardie Jules Verne, CNRS UMR-8160, Fa Louvels, F-80036 Amiens, France. E-mail address: Harold.Mouras@u-picardie.fr (H. Mo 1053-8119/$ – see front matter ? 2008 Elsevier Inc. All doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.05.051a b s t r a c ta r t i c l e i n f oArticle history: Although visually-induced Received 21 November 2007 Revised 18 April 2008 Accepted 21 May 2008 Available online 6 June 2008erection is a common occurrence in human male behaviour, the cerebral underpinnings of this response are not well-known. We hypothesized that the magnitude of induced erection would be linearly correlated with the activation of the mirror-neuron system in response to sexually explicit films. When presented with sexual video clips, eight out of ten healthy subjects had an erectile response demonstrated through volumetric penile plethysmography. T