The Neurobiology of Sexual Responses and Its Clinical Relevance

Abstract

Sexual responses are regulated by hormonal, neurochemical, and neuronal factors and networks. An understanding of these basic principles is necessary for diagnostics, counseling, and treatment of sexual problems. This chapter includes a description of essential mechanisms of sexual function on a neurochemical, hormonal, and neuronal level. Analogous to the dual control model there are inhibitory (e.g., serotonin) and excitatory hormone and neurotransmitter systems (sex steroids, dopamine) that control and modulate sexual responses. Neuronal structures have been identified that are responsible for processing sexual stimuli and eliciting sexual responses. These networks are altered in subjects with sexual disorders or by pharmacological treatments such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, dopamine antagonists, or antiandrogens. The knowledge of the neurobiology of sexuality forms the basis for the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in psychiatry and other areas.