Opposed left and right brain hemisphere contributions to sexual drive: A multiple lesion case analysis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Braun, Claude M.J. | Dumont, Mathieu | Duval, Julie | Hamel, Isabelle | Godbout, Lucie^;

Affiliations: Centre de Neurosciences de la Cognition and Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada | Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois Rivières, Canada

Note: [] Corresponding author: Claude M.J. Braun, Full professor, Psychology, UQAM, CP 8888, Succ "Centre-Ville", Montréal, Qué., Canada H3C 3P8, Tel.: +1 514 987 3000 4814; Fax: +1 514 987 8952; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Brain topographical studies of normal men have have shown that sexual excitation is asymmetric in the brain hemispheres. Group studies of patients with unilateral epileptic foci and other studies of patients with unilateral brain lesions have come to the same conclusion. The present study reviewed previously published single case reports of patients with frank hypo or hypersexuality subsequent to a unilateral brain lesion. Hyposexual patients tended to have left hemisphere lesions (primarily of the temporal lobe), and hypersexual patients tended to have right hemisphere lesions (primarily of the temporal lobe) (p < 0.05). We interpret this double dissociation as part of a more general phenomenon of psychic tone similarly dissociated with regard to hemispheric control, including mood, psychomotor baseline, speech rate, and even immunity. The behavioral significance of this psychic tone is to modulate approach versus avoidance behavior.

Journal: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 14, no. 1-2, pp. 55-61, 2003