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Structural insights into aberrant cortical morphometry and network organization in psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

ABSTRACT: Functional neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain dynamics of male sexual arousal (SA) in psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of pED are still unclear. In this work, we obtained cortical thickness (CTh) measurements from structural magnetic resonance images of 40 pED patients and 39 healthy control subjects. Abnormalities in CTh related to pED were explored using a scale space search based brain morphometric analysis. Organizations of brain structural covariance networks were analyzed as well. Compared with healthy men, pED patients showed significantly decreased CTh in widespread cortical regions, most of which were previously reported to show abnormal dynamics of male SA in pED, such as the medial prefrontal, orbitofrontal, cingulate, inferotemporal, and insular cortices. CTh reductions in these areas were found to be significantly correlated with male sexual functioning degradation. Moreover, pED patients showed decreased interregional CTh correlations from the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex to the right supramarginal gyrus and the left angular cortex, implying disassociations between the cognitive, motivational, and inhibitory networks of male SA in pED. This work provides structural insights on the complex phenomenon of psychogenic sexual dysfunction in men, and suggests a specific vulnerability factor, possibly as an extra "organic" factor, that may play an important role in pED.

SUBMITTER: Zhao L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6869733 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Structural insights into aberrant cortical morphometry and network organization in psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Zhao Lu L Guan Min M Zhang Xiangsheng X Karama Sherif S Khundrakpam Budhachandra B Wang Meiyun M Dong Minghao M Qin Wei W Tian Jie J Evans Alan C AC Shi Dapeng D

Human brain mapping 20150812 11

Functional neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain dynamics of male sexual arousal (SA) in psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of pED are still unclear. In this work, we obtained cortical thickness (CTh) measurements from structural magnetic resonance images of 40 pED patients and 39 healthy control subjects. Abnormalities in CTh related to pED were explored using a scale space search based brain morphometric analysis. Organizations of brain ...[more]

PMID: 26264575

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Project description:Background: Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the prefrontal cortex and amygdala play an important role in sexual arousal (SA). However, little is known about the interactions between the prefrontal and cortex amygdala, which mediate the cognitive regulation of emotion and SA. Objective: We seek to determine whether nocturnal erection of psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) patients are normal and whether there are changes of topological organization in the prefrontal-amygdala pathway of brain network in pED. In addition, whether there are correlations between network property changes and self-reported emotion and erection. Design, setting, and participants: We used the RigiScan device to evaluate erectile function of patients and employed diffusion MRI and graph theory to construct brain networks of 21 pED patients and 24 healthy controls. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: We considered four nodal metrics and their asymmetry scores, and nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) parameters, to evaluate the topological properties of brain networks of pED and their relationships with the impaired self-reported emotion and erection. Results and limitations: All the pED patients showed normal nocturnal penile erection, however impaired self-reported erection and negative emotion. In addition, patients showed lower connectivity degree and strength in the left prefrontal-amygdala pathway. We also found that pED exhibited lower leftward asymmetry in the inferior frontal gyrus. Furthermore, patients showed more hub regions and fewer pivotal connections. Moreover, the degree of the left amygdala of pED showed significantly negative correlation with the self-reported erection and positive correlation with the self-reported negative emotion. Conclusions: Together, these results suggest normal nocturnal erection in pED. However, abnormalities of brain network organization in pED, particularly in the left prefrontal-amygdala pathway, are associated with the impaired self-reported erection and negative emotion.

Dataset Information

Structural insights into aberrant cortical morphometry and network organization in psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Publications

Structural insights into aberrant cortical morphometry and network organization in psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

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