Neural correlates of sexual cue reactivity in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours

Valerie Voon, Thomas B Mole, Paula Banca, Laura Porter, Laurel Morris, Simon Mitchell, Tatyana R Lapa, Judy Karr, Neil A Harrison, Marc N Potenza, Michael Irvine, Valerie Voon, Thomas B Mole, Paula Banca, Laura Porter, Laurel Morris, Simon Mitchell, Tatyana R Lapa, Judy Karr, Neil A Harrison, Marc N Potenza, Michael Irvine

Abstract

Although compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) has been conceptualized as a "behavioural" addiction and common or overlapping neural circuits may govern the processing of natural and drug rewards, little is known regarding the responses to sexually explicit materials in individuals with and without CSB. Here, the processing of cues of varying sexual content was assessed in individuals with and without CSB, focusing on neural regions identified in prior studies of drug-cue reactivity. 19 CSB subjects and 19 healthy volunteers were assessed using functional MRI comparing sexually explicit videos with non-sexual exciting videos. Ratings of sexual desire and liking were obtained. Relative to healthy volunteers, CSB subjects had greater desire but similar liking scores in response to the sexually explicit videos. Exposure to sexually explicit cues in CSB compared to non-CSB subjects was associated with activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate, ventral striatum and amygdala. Functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate-ventral striatum-amygdala network was associated with subjective sexual desire (but not liking) to a greater degree in CSB relative to non-CSB subjects. The dissociation between desire or wanting and liking is consistent with theories of incentive motivation underlying CSB as in drug addictions. Neural differences in the processing of sexual-cue reactivity were identified in CSB subjects in regions previously implicated in drug-cue reactivity studies. The greater engagement of corticostriatal limbic circuitry in CSB following exposure to sexual cues suggests neural mechanisms underlying CSB and potential biological targets for interventions.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1. Condition contrasts.
Figure 1. Condition contrasts.
The glass brains and coronal images show the effects across groups of the following contrasts: explicit – exciting (left, top row), erotic – exciting (middle, middle row) and money – exciting (right, bottom row). The images are shown at whole-brain FWE-corrected P

Figure 2. Explicit versus exciting cues.

The…

Figure 2. Explicit versus exciting cues.

The coronal views represent the group-byvideo-type interaction of subjects…

Figure 2. Explicit versus exciting cues.
The coronal views represent the group-byvideo-type interaction of subjects with compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB)>healthy volunteers (HV) contrasting explicit>exciting cues. The images are shown as regions of interest at P

Figure 3. Sexual desire.

A. Subjective desire…

Figure 3. Sexual desire.

A. Subjective desire and liking scores to video types in subjects…

Figure 3. Sexual desire.
A. Subjective desire and liking scores to video types in subjects with compulsive sexual behaviours (CSB) and healthy volunteer (HV) participants. There was a significant group-by-video-type-by-desire/liking interaction. Error bars represent SEM. *p

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows…

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects…

Figure 4. Age.
The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects with Compulsive Sexual Behaviours (CSB) with a healthy volunteer (HV) exclusive mask. The graph shows the corresponding regression analysis for the ventral striatal parameter estimate (PE) and age in years. The image is shown as a region of interest at P
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References
    1. Fong TW (2006) Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors. Psychiatry (Edgmont) 3: 51–58. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Grant JE (2010) Impulse-control disorders in a college sample: results from the self-administered Minnesota Impulse Disorders Interview (MIDI). Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 12. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Lust K, Schreiber LR, Christenson G, Derbyshire K, et al. (2013) Compulsive sexual behavior in young adults. Ann Clin Psychiatry 25: 193–200. - PubMed
    1. Grant JE, Levine L, Kim D, Potenza MN (2005) Impulse control disorders in adult psychiatric inpatients. Am J Psychiatry 162: 2184–2188. - PubMed
    1. Reid RC (2013) Personal perspectives on hypersexual disorder. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity 20: 14.
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Figure 2. Explicit versus exciting cues.
Figure 2. Explicit versus exciting cues.
The coronal views represent the group-byvideo-type interaction of subjects with compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB)>healthy volunteers (HV) contrasting explicit>exciting cues. The images are shown as regions of interest at P

Figure 3. Sexual desire.

A. Subjective desire…

Figure 3. Sexual desire.

A. Subjective desire and liking scores to video types in subjects…

Figure 3. Sexual desire.
A. Subjective desire and liking scores to video types in subjects with compulsive sexual behaviours (CSB) and healthy volunteer (HV) participants. There was a significant group-by-video-type-by-desire/liking interaction. Error bars represent SEM. *p

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows…

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects…

Figure 4. Age.
The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects with Compulsive Sexual Behaviours (CSB) with a healthy volunteer (HV) exclusive mask. The graph shows the corresponding regression analysis for the ventral striatal parameter estimate (PE) and age in years. The image is shown as a region of interest at P
Similar articles
Cited by
References
    1. Fong TW (2006) Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors. Psychiatry (Edgmont) 3: 51–58. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Grant JE (2010) Impulse-control disorders in a college sample: results from the self-administered Minnesota Impulse Disorders Interview (MIDI). Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 12. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Lust K, Schreiber LR, Christenson G, Derbyshire K, et al. (2013) Compulsive sexual behavior in young adults. Ann Clin Psychiatry 25: 193–200. - PubMed
    1. Grant JE, Levine L, Kim D, Potenza MN (2005) Impulse control disorders in adult psychiatric inpatients. Am J Psychiatry 162: 2184–2188. - PubMed
    1. Reid RC (2013) Personal perspectives on hypersexual disorder. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity 20: 14.
Show all 68 references
Publication types
MeSH terms
[x]
Cite
Copy Download .nbib
Format: AMA APA MLA NLM

NCBI Literature Resources

MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer

The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.

Follow NCBI
Figure 3. Sexual desire.
Figure 3. Sexual desire.
A. Subjective desire and liking scores to video types in subjects with compulsive sexual behaviours (CSB) and healthy volunteer (HV) participants. There was a significant group-by-video-type-by-desire/liking interaction. Error bars represent SEM. *p

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows…

Figure 4. Age.

The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects…

Figure 4. Age.
The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects with Compulsive Sexual Behaviours (CSB) with a healthy volunteer (HV) exclusive mask. The graph shows the corresponding regression analysis for the ventral striatal parameter estimate (PE) and age in years. The image is shown as a region of interest at P
Similar articles
Cited by
References
    1. Fong TW (2006) Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors. Psychiatry (Edgmont) 3: 51–58. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Grant JE (2010) Impulse-control disorders in a college sample: results from the self-administered Minnesota Impulse Disorders Interview (MIDI). Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 12. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Odlaug BL, Lust K, Schreiber LR, Christenson G, Derbyshire K, et al. (2013) Compulsive sexual behavior in young adults. Ann Clin Psychiatry 25: 193–200. - PubMed
    1. Grant JE, Levine L, Kim D, Potenza MN (2005) Impulse control disorders in adult psychiatric inpatients. Am J Psychiatry 162: 2184–2188. - PubMed
    1. Reid RC (2013) Personal perspectives on hypersexual disorder. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity 20: 14.
Show all 68 references
Publication types
MeSH terms
[x]
Cite
Copy Download .nbib
Format: AMA APA MLA NLM
Figure 4. Age.
Figure 4. Age.
The coronal view shows the age covariate for explicit videos in subjects with Compulsive Sexual Behaviours (CSB) with a healthy volunteer (HV) exclusive mask. The graph shows the corresponding regression analysis for the ventral striatal parameter estimate (PE) and age in years. The image is shown as a region of interest at P

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