The cerebral correlates of sexual desire: Functional neuroimaging approach

SummaryIn recent years, functional neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have made possible the identification of cerebral correlates of sexual desire in men and women, whether healthy or suffering from sexual disorders. Here, we review the main results of functional neuroimaging studies of cerebral correlates of sexual desire in healthy male subjects and we conclude with a theoretical model of sexual desire based on a cognitive neuroscience approach.