The somatosensory representation of the human clitoris: an fMRI study.

Détails

ID Serval
serval:BIB_1AAA775CF021
Type
Article: article d'un périodique ou d'un magazine.
Collection
Publications
Titre
The somatosensory representation of the human clitoris: an fMRI study.
Périodique
Neuroimage
Auteur⸱e⸱s
Michels L., Mehnert U., Boy S., Schurch B., Kollias S.
ISSN
1095-9572 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1053-8119
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
2010
Volume
49
Numéro
1
Pages
177-184
Langue
anglais
Notes
Publication types: Journal ArticlePublication Status: ppublish
Résumé
We studied the central representation of pudendal afferents arising from the clitoral nerves in 15 healthy adult female subjects using electrical dorsal clitoral nerve stimulation and fMRI. As a control body region, we electrically stimulated the right hallux in eight subjects. In a block design experiment, we applied bilateral clitoral stimulation and unilateral (right) hallux stimulation. Activation maps were calculated for the contrasts 'electrical dorsal clitoral nerve stimulation versus rest' and 'electrical hallux stimulation versus rest'. A random-effect group analysis for the clitoral stimulation showed significant activations bilateral in the superior and inferior frontal gyri, insulae and putamen and in the postcentral, precentral and inferior parietal gyri (including the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices). No activation was found on the mesial surface of the postcentral gyrus. For the hallux, activations occurred in a similar neuronal network but the activation in the primary somatosensory cortex was localized in the inter-hemispheric fissure. The results of this study demonstrate that the central representation of pudendal afferents arising from the clitoral nerves and sensory inputs from the hallux can be studied and distinguished from each other by fMRI. From the somatotopic order described in the somatosensory homunculus one would expect for electrical clitoral nerve stimulation activation of the mesial wall of the postcentral gyrus. In contrast, we found activations on the lateral surface of the postcentral gyrus.
Mots-clé
Adult, Clitoris/innervation, Clitoris/physiology, Electric Stimulation, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Sexual Behavior/physiology, Somatosensory Cortex/physiology, Young Adult
Pubmed
Web of science
Création de la notice
05/11/2014 13:12
Dernière modification de la notice
20/08/2019 13:51
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