Measures Of Arousal Research Articles

Knockdown of hypocretin attenuates extended access of cocaine self-administration in rats.

The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) neuropeptide system regulates feeding, arousal state, stress responses, and reward, especially under conditions of enhanced motivational relevance. In particular, HCRT neurotransmission facilitates drug-seeking behavior in circumstances that demand increased effort and/or motivation to take the drug. The present study used a shRNA-encoding adeno-associated viral vector to knockdown Hcrt expression throughout the dorsal hypothalamus in adult rats and determine the role of HCRT in cocaine self-administration. Chronic Hcrt silencing did not impact cocaine self-administration under short-access conditions, but robustly attenuated cocaine intake under extended access conditions, a model that mimics key features of compulsive cocaine taking. In addition, Hcrt silencing decreased motivation for both cocaine and a highly palatable food reward (i.e., sweetened condensed milk; SCM) under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, but did not alter responding for SCM under a fixed ratio schedule. Importantly, Hcrt silencing did not affect food or water consumption, and had no consequence for general measures of arousal and stress reactivity. At the molecular level, chronic Hcrt knockdown reduced the number of neurons expressing dynorphin (DYN), and to a smaller extent melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), in the dorsal hypothalamus. These original findings support the hypothesis that HCRT neurotransmission promotes operant responding for both drug and non-drug rewards, preferentially under conditions requiring a high degree of motivation. Furthermore, the current study provides compelling evidence for the involvement of the HCRT system in cocaine self-administration also under low-effort conditions in rats allowed extended access, possibly via functional interactions with DYN and MCH signaling.

Relación entre la excitación sexual subjetiva y la respuesta genital: diferencias entre hombres y mujeres

ObjectiveThe level of agreement between subjective and objective measures of sexual arousal is referred as sexual concordance. Sex is one of the principal moderators and there is a higher level of correspondence in men than in women. The aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive validity of the scales Ratings of Sexual Arousal (RSA) and Ratings of Genital Sensations (RGS), relating their scores with the genital response to visual sexual stimuli in men and women. Material and methodA sample of 159 young heterosexuals was used (69 men and 90 women) which completed, firstly, a sociodemographic and sexual story questionnaire, the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales Short-Form and the SOS-6. At the laboratory, they were exposed to a neutral film and to an explicit sexual content film. The subjective sexual arousal was evaluated with the RSA and RGS scales and the genital response was registered through a plethysmography (men) and a photo-plethysmography (women). ResultsSignificant correlations were obtained between subjective and objective sexual arousal only in men. The RGS scale has the capacity to predict the erection response toward sexual stimuli. ConclusionsThe theory of differences in sexual concordance between men and women was endorsed. Modest evidence about the predictive validity of the subjective sexual arousal evaluation scale was found only in men. It arises the need for subjective and objective assessment of sexual arousal, in clinical settings and research area.

Effects of Arousal on Mouse Sensory Cortex Depend on Modality

SummaryChanges in arousal modulate the activity of mouse sensory cortex, but studies in different mice and different sensory areas disagree on whether this modulation enhances or suppresses activity. We measured this modulation simultaneously in multiple cortical areas by imaging mice expressing voltage-sensitive fluorescent proteins (VSFP). VSFP imaging estimates local membrane potential across large portions of cortex. We used temporal filters to predict local potential from running speed or from pupil dilation, two measures of arousal. The filters provided good fits and revealed that the effects of arousal depend on modality. In the primary visual cortex (V1) and auditory cortex (Au), arousal caused depolarization followed by hyperpolarization. In the barrel cortex (S1b) and a secondary visual area (LM), it caused only hyperpolarization. In all areas, nonetheless, arousal reduced the phasic responses to trains of sensory stimuli. These results demonstrate diverse effects of arousal across sensory cortex but similar effects on sensory responses.

Psychophysiological responses during cognitively demanding work in subjectively annoying background noise

People who work in noisy environments are at greater risk for stress-related diseases, including hypertension and stroke, even when noise levels are too low to damage hearing. Such noise may be harmful, especially to noise-sensitive individuals, because the psychological annoyance that it causes induces physiological stress responses that are damaging to health over the long term. This study was designed to investigate the link between subjective noise annoyance and physiological measures of arousal and displeasure due to the presence of background noise. Cardiovascular, electrodermal, respiratory, and facial muscular activity were recorded from 32 listeners during the completion of a demanding working memory task under different listening conditions. Participants completed four levels of memory task demand in silence and in two different continuous noises similar to that produced by HVAC equipment. Both noises were comparable in terms of loudness and presentation level (54–60 dBA) but differed in perceived annoyance (based on ratings from a panel of listeners in a previous study) and in acoustic properties associated with noise annoyance (roughness, tonality, and sharpness). Behavioral measures of memory task performance, noise sensitivity, personality traits, and subjective effort will be presented and related to physiological measures, and implications for future research will be discussed.

Maintaining physiologic testosterone levels during combined oral contraceptives by adding dehydroepiandrosterone: II. Effects on sexual function. A phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

ObjectiveThe objective was to evaluate the effect of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) on sexual function, either alone or together with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Study designAn exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, comparative, crossover study was conducted in 81 OC users. Subjects discontinued their OC for one cycle before being randomized for 10cycles to a 30-mcg ethinyl estradiol (EE)/levonorgestrel (LNG) OC or a 30-mcg EE/drospirenone (DRSP) OC, along with daily use of 50mg dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or placebo during five OC cycles before crossing over from DHEA to placebo or the reverse for another fivecycles. First, the effect on sexual function of five OC cycles + placebo was compared to baseline. Then, the effect of five OC cycles + DHEA was compared to the OC+placebo. Results regarding endocrine changes have been published separately. Primary efficacy outcomes of the current study were genital response (measured by vaginal pulse amplitude [VPA]) and sexual feelings (measured by the subjective self-assessment questionnaire [SSAQ]) to self-induced erotic fantasy and visual sexual stimuli in a laboratory setting and measures of desire and arousability using a sexual function diary (SFD). Secondary efficacy outcomes were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised. ResultsEighty-one women were enrolled, and 74 women completed the study. Five cycles of OC+placebo resulted in a significant decline compared to baseline of four out of six SFD self-ratings of sexual desire and arousability with both OCs. The LNG OC also resulted in significant declines in the FSFI scores (baseline vs. LNG OC+placebo: total score, 28.7±3.7 vs. 25.6±7.4; arousal, 5.0±0.7 vs. 4.5±1.4; lubrication, 5.2±0.9 vs. 4.6±1.7; pain, 4.9±0.9 vs. 4.5±1.4), but no changes were observed using the DRSP OC. In the laboratory setting, five cycles of OC+DHEA showed no significant differences with placebo except for a significant increase in genital sensations (SSAQ) during erotic fantasy (OC+placebo vs. OC+DHEA: 3.3±1.4 vs. 3.6±1.5; p<.05). No significant changes were observed for genital response (VPA) and the other two variables of the SSAQ assessed after visual erotic stimulus exposure. Using the SFD, 5 out of 10 variables showed a significant improvement with DHEA. Partner's initiative was rejected less often with OC+DHEA compared to placebo (OC+placebo vs. OC+DHEA: 1.1±1.5 vs. 0.8±1.0; p<.05). Women with free testosterone levels in the upper quartile during DHEA co-administration showed significantly better effects on sexual arousal and desire compared to the three lower quartiles (lower vs. upper quartiles: sexual arousability: 25.0±19.8 vs. 41.2±29.0; sexual desire: 5.6±3.7 vs. 9.6±8.0; desire for sex with partner: 4.9±3.1 vs. 8.6±7.4; number of sex fantasies: 3.0±3.2 vs. 5.5±4.4; all p<.05). ConclusionsIn this exploratory study, OC use was associated with decreases in some measures of sexual functioning, whereas others remained unchanged. Maintaining or restoring physiological testosterone concentrations by the co-administration of DHEA to the OC may prevent these effects on sexuality, particularly in women with relatively high but physiologic levels of free testosterone during DHEA co-administration. ImplicationsThe results of this exploratory study warrant further testing of the hypothesis that restoration and/or preservation of physiologic testosterone levels during OC use by co-administration of DHEA has favorable effects on those aspects of sexual function compromised by OCs.

The wisdom of the body: Listeners' autonomic arousal distinguishes between spontaneous and posed vocal emotions.

It has been the matter of much debate whether perceivers are able to distinguish spontaneous vocal expressions of emotion from posed vocal expressions (e.g., emotion portrayals). In this experiment, we show that such discrimination can be manifested in the autonomic arousal of listeners during implicit processing of vocal emotions. Participants (N = 21, age: 20-55 years) listened to two consecutive blocks of brief voice clips and judged the gender of the speaker in each clip, while we recorded three measures of sympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system (skin conductance level, mean arterial blood pressure, pulse rate). Unbeknownst to the listeners, the blocks consisted of two types of emotional speech: spontaneous and posed clips. As predicted, spontaneous clips yielded higher arousal levels than posed clips, suggesting that listeners implicitly distinguished between the two kinds of expression, even in the absence of any requirement to retrieve emotional information from the voice. We discuss the results with regard to theories of emotional contagion and the use of posed stimuli in studies of emotions.

Lateralized behavior and cardiac activity of dogs in response to human emotional vocalizations

Over the recent years, the study of emotional functioning has become one of the central issues in dog cognition. Previous studies showed that dogs can recognize different emotions by looking at human faces and can correctly match the human emotional state with a vocalization having a negative emotional valence. However, to this day, little is known about how dogs perceive and process human non-verbal vocalizations having different emotional valence. The current research provides new insights into emotional functioning of the canine brain by studying dogs’ lateralized auditory functions (to provide a first insight into the valence dimension) matched with both behavior and physiological measures of arousal (to study the arousal dimension) in response to playbacks related to the Ekman’s six basic human emotions. Overall, our results indicate lateralized brain patterns for the processing of human emotional vocalizations, with the prevalent use of the right hemisphere in the analysis of vocalizations with a clear negative emotional valence (i.e. “fear” and “sadness”) and the prevalent use of the left hemisphere in the analysis of positive vocalization (“happiness”). Furthermore, both cardiac activity and behavior response support the hypothesis that dogs are sensitive to emotional cues of human vocalizations.

Psychological processes associated with insomnia in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Despite the high comorbidity of insomnia disorder (ID) with multiple sclerosis (MS), the relevance of psychological processes involved in the maintenance of insomnia is yet to be established in this neurological disorder. This study aimed to ascertain to what extent the suggested emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes maintaining insomnia are relevant in people with insomnia and MS. A between-subjects design was used to compare 26 patients with insomnia and MS, with 31 patients with MS only, and with 26 matched neurological disease-free individuals with insomnia. All patients participated in a standardized clinical interview and completed a battery of self-reported measures of cognitive and somatic presleep arousal experienced at bedtime, sleep- or insomnia-related unhelpful beliefs, and sleep-related safety behaviors. All patients with MS underwent a neurological examination. ID comorbid to MS was strongly associated with increased levels of cognitive and somatic arousal, higher endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs about the consequences of insomnia on daytime functioning, and worry about insomnia and more frequent engagement in sleep-related safety behaviors. Patients with MS with ID did not differ from neurological disease-free individuals with insomnia on these measures. No link was found between MS clinical peculiarities and ID diagnosis. ID comorbid to MS is associated with the classical psychological factors perpetuating ID in neurological disease-free individuals with insomnia. Primary care providers and neurologists should consider target-oriented therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia as a treatment approach for ID comorbid to MS.

Response to scene transitions in films based on establishing shot type

Response to scene transitions in films based on establishing shot type

Effects of an Intervention to Reduce Sitting at Work on Arousal, Fatigue, and Mood Among Sedentary Female Employees: A Parallel-Group Randomized Trial.

The aim of this study was to determine whether individuals who participated in an intervention to reduce sitting at work would report changes in arousal, fatigue, and mood. Inactive females with full-time sedentary occupations (N = 49) were randomly assigned to take short, frequent breaks (SBs) or longer, planned breaks (LBs) from sitting each workday for 8 weeks. At baseline and postintervention, participants completed measures of arousal, fatigue, and mood. Within- and between-group changes were examined. SB participants reduced sitting and reported moderate to large improvements in all affective outcomes except calmness (d = -0.44 to -0.82), whereas effect sizes were small for the LB group (d = 0.01 to -0.28). Only changes in negative affect differed between groups (P = 0.045). This study suggests that taking short, frequent breaks from sitting may be an effective strategy for improving affective outcomes among sedentary female employees.

Modulating musical reward sensitivity up and down with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Humans have the unique capacity to experience pleasure from aesthetic stimuli, such as art and music. Recent neuroimaging findings with music have led to a model in which mesolimbic striatal circuits interact with cortical systems to generate expectancies leading to pleasure 1,2 . However, neuroimaging approaches are correlational. Here, we provide causal evidence for the model by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to directly modulate fronto-striatal function 3 bidirectionally together with measures of pleasure and motivation during music listening. Our results show that perceived pleasure, psychophysiological measures of emotional arousal, and the monetary value assigned to music, are all significantly increased by exciting fronto-striatal pathways, whereas inhibition of this system leads to decreases in all of these variables compared with sham stimulation. These findings support the hypothesis that fronto-striatal function causally mediates both the affective responses and motivational aspects of music-induced reward, and provide insights into how aesthetic responses emerge in the human brain.

Developing a model for measuring fear of pain in Norwegian samples: The Fear of Pain Questionnaire Norway

BackgroundFear of pain is highly correlated with pain report and physiological measures of arousal when pain is inflicted. The Fear of Pain Questionnaire III (FPQ-III) and The Fear of Pain Questionnaire Short Form (FPQ-SF) are self-report inventories developed for assessment of fear of pain (FOP). A previous study assessed the fit of the FPQ-III and the FPQ-SF in a Norwegian non-clinical sample and proved poor fit of both models. This inspired the idea of testing the possibility of a Norwegian FOP-model. Aims and methodsA Norwegian FOP-model was examined by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in a sample of 1112 healthy volunteers. Then, the model fit of the FPQ-III, FPQ-SF and the Norwegian FOP-model (FPQ-NOR) were compared by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Sex neutrality was explored by examining model fit, validity and reliability of the 3 models amongst male and female subgroups. ResultsThe EFA suggested either a 4-, a 5- or a 6-factor Norwegian FOP model. The eigenvalue criterion supported the suggested 6-factor model, which also explained most of the variance and was most interpretable. A CFA confirmed that the 6-factor model was better than the two 4- and 5-factor models. Furthermore, the CFA used to test the fit of the FPQ-NOR, the FPQ-III and the FPQ-SF showed that the FPQ-NOR had the best fit of the 3 models, both in the whole sample and in sex sub-groups. ConclusionA 6-factor model for explaining and measuring FOP in Norwegian samples was identified and termed the FPQ-NOR. This new model constituted six factors and 27 items, conceptualized as Minor, Severe, Injection, Fracture, Dental, and Cut Pain. The FPQ-NOR had the best fit overall and in male- and female subgroups, probably due to cross-cultural differences in FOP. ImplicationsThis study highlights the importance on exploratory analysis of FOP-instruments when applied to different countries or cultures. As the FPQ-III is widely used in both research and clinical settings, it is important to ensure that the models construct validity is high. Country specific validation of FOP in both clinical and non-clinical samples is recommended.

Tracking technologies and urban analysis: Adding the emotional dimension

Recent technological advancements—most notably the proliferation of tracking technologies (GPS), real-time surveying techniques, and ambulatory sensing—have allowed researchers to advance the empirical investigation of the interaction between space and emotion. Over the past few years, two approaches to the assessment of spatial-emotional interactions have emerged: the assessment of emotion using subjective self-reported measures and the exploration of objective physiological measures of emotional arousal using ambulatory sensing techniques. To date, most empirical research exploring spatial-emotional interactions has focused on the individual level. The present study is the first to systematically map the emotional characteristics of a large-scale urban environment using aggregative measures of emotion (subjective and objective). By mapping the subjective emotional experience of 144 individuals through real-time surveys administered through Experience Sampling Methods (ESM) as well as mapping an objective physiological measurement of emotional arousal (Skin Conductance Level) of 68 tourists, we were able to create ‘emotional maps’ of the city of Jerusalem. The maps identify emotionally arousing areas of the city, point to emotional ‘clusters’ and ‘boundaries’, and identify discontinuities (and continuities) in emotional space throughout the city. The theoretical and practical implications of this new method for planning and policy are discussed.

Altered theta oscillations in resting EEG of fibromyalgia syndrome patients.

BackgroundFibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue and cognitive/affective symptoms. Functional imaging studies have revealed that FM and other chronic pain syndromes can affect resting brain activity. This study utilized electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings to investigate the relative power of ongoing oscillatory activity in the resting brain.MethodsA 64‐channel EEG was recorded at rest in 19 female FM patients and 18 healthy, age‐matched, control subjects. The Manual Tender Point Scale (MTPS) examination was performed to quantify tonic pain and tenderness on the day of testing along with measures of mood, arousal and fatigue. Oscillations in delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands were analysed using Standardised Low‐Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography to evaluate sources of spectral activity throughout the whole brain.Results FM patients exhibited greater pain, tiredness and tension on the day of testing relative to healthy control participants and augmented theta activity in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. No significant differences were seen in other frequency bands. Augmented frontal theta activity in FM patients significantly correlated with measures of tenderness and mean tiredness scores.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that alterations to resting‐state oscillatory activity may relate to ongoing tonic pain and fatigue in FM, and manifest in brain regions relevant for cognitive‐attentional aspects of pain processing and endogenous pain inhibition. Enhanced low‐frequency oscillations were previously seen in FM and other chronic pain syndromes, and may relate to pathophysiological mechanisms for ongoing pain such as thalamocortical dysrhythmia.SignificanceIncreased prefrontal theta activity may contribute to persistent pain in fibromyalgia or represent the outcome of prolonged symptoms. The findings point to the potential for therapeutic interventions aimed at normalizing neural oscillations, while further research utilizing quantitative analysis of resting EEG could benefit our understanding of fibromyalgia pathophysiology.

Joint action aesthetics.

Synchronized movement is a ubiquitous feature of dance and music performance. Much research into the evolutionary origins of these cultural practices has focused on why humans perform rather than watch or listen to dance and music. In this study, we show that movement synchrony among a group of performers predicts the aesthetic appreciation of live dance performances. We developed a choreography that continuously manipulated group synchronization using a defined movement vocabulary based on arm swinging, walking and running. The choreography was performed live to four audiences, as we continuously tracked the performers’ movements, and the spectators’ affective responses. We computed dynamic synchrony among performers using cross recurrence analysis of data from wrist accelerometers, and implicit measures of arousal from spectators’ heart rates. Additionally, a subset of spectators provided continuous ratings of enjoyment and perceived synchrony using tablet computers. Granger causality analyses demonstrate predictive relationships between synchrony, enjoyment ratings and spectator arousal, if audiences form a collectively consistent positive or negative aesthetic evaluation. Controlling for the influence of overall movement acceleration and visual change, we show that dance communicates group coordination via coupled movement dynamics among a group of performers. Our findings are in line with an evolutionary function of dance–and perhaps all performing arts–in transmitting social signals between groups of people. Human movement is the common denominator of dance, music and theatre. Acknowledging the time-sensitive and immediate nature of the performer-spectator relationship, our study makes a significant step towards an aesthetics of joint actions in the performing arts.

Skin Conductance Reactivity to Standardized Virtual Reality Combat Scenes in Veterans with PTSD.

Interest in virtual reality (VR) as a clinical tool to augment posttraumatic stress (PTSD) treatment has grown substantially in recent years due to advances in VR technology. Moreover, its potential assisted use in the PTSD diagnostic process has been recognized. In this study we examined physiological responding, skin conductance, to a standardized presentation of non-personalized combat-related VR events (e.g. encountering enemy fire; explosions) as compared to non-combat classroom VR events in 19 Veterans with and 24 Veterans without combat-related PTSD who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans watched a total of 12 VR scenarios-six combat-related and six non-combat-related-with each scenario gradually increasing in emotional intensity by adding more VR events in addition to repeating prior VR events. Results show that Veterans with PTSD displayed larger skin conductance reactivity across VR combat events, but not for non-combat VR events, as compared to combat Veterans without PTSD. Nevertheless, Veterans with and without PTSD showed a similar reduction of emotional arousal to repeated presentation of the same VR combat events. Within the PTSD sample, the elevated level of VR combat-related arousal correlated marginally with severity of hyperarousal symptoms. This study confirms that the use of a non-personalized and standardized VR presentation successfully distinguishes Veterans with PTSD from those without on a measure of psychophysiological arousal to combat-related VR stimuli. The assessment of physiological reactivity during the repeated presentation of standardized, trauma-related VR events highlights its use for PTSD assessment as well as treatment.

Testing the arousal hypothesis of neonatal imitation in infant rhesus macaques.

Neonatal imitation is the matching of (often facial) gestures by newborn infants. Some studies suggest that performance of facial gestures is due to general arousal, which may produce false positives on neonatal imitation assessments. Here we examine whether arousal is linked to facial gesturing in newborn infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We tested 163 infants in a neonatal imitation paradigm in their first postnatal week and analyzed their lipsmacking gestures (a rapid opening and closing of the mouth), tongue protrusion gestures, and yawn responses (a measure of arousal). Arousal increased during dynamic stimulus presentation compared to the static baseline across all conditions, and arousal was higher in the facial gestures conditions than the nonsocial control condition. However, even after controlling for arousal, we found a condition-specific increase in facial gestures in infants who matched lipsmacking and tongue protrusion gestures. Thus, we found no support for the arousal hypothesis. Consistent with reports in human newborns, imitators’ propensity to match facial gestures is based on abilities that go beyond mere arousal. We discuss optimal testing conditions to minimize potentially confounding effects of arousal on measurements of neonatal imitation.

Dark Flow, Depression and Multiline Slot Machine Play

Multiline slot machines allow for a unique outcome type referred to as a loss disguised as a win (LDW). An LDW occurs when a player gains credits on a spin, but fewer credits than their original wager (e.g. 15-cent gain on a 20-cent wager). These outcomes alter the gambler’s play experience by providing frequent, albeit smaller, credit gains throughout a playing session that are in fact net losses. Despite this negative overall value, research has shown that players physiologically respond to LDWs as if they are wins, not losses. These outcomes also create a “smoother” experience for the player that seems to promote a highly absorbing, flow-like state that we have called “dark flow”. Past research has indicated that there may be a relationship between problem gambling status and dark flow, as well as between dark flow, depression, and gambling expectancies. In this study, we sought to further understand these relationships, while examining the influence of LDWs on game preference in the context of single versus multiline slots play. We used a realistic slot machine simulator equipped with a force transducer to measure how hard players pressed the spin button following different outcomes. This measure of arousal showed that LDWs were treated similarly to small wins. Participants overwhelmingly preferred the multiline game and experienced more positive affect while playing it, compared to the single-line game. Problem gambling severity index scores were related to dark flow in both games, but this relationship was stronger for the multiline game. Additionally, depression symptomatology and dark flow were strongly correlated in the multiline game, with significant relationships between depression and gambling expectancy, and gambling expectancy and dark flow ratings also emerging.

041 The Relationship between Physiological Genital Arousal and Genital Sensations in Women

Past research has shown that genital arousal as measured via vaginal photoplethysmography (VPA) cannot reliably differentiate women with and without sexual dysfunction. However, little research has assessed the relationship between VPA and women's genital sensations. One study that examined this relationship found that mean VPA was associated with genital sensations in sexually functional, but not dysfunctional, women (Laan et al., 2008). The aim of the current study was to replicate and extend these findings to a large sample of both sexually functional and dysfunctional women, both with and without a history of childhood sexual abuse. Data from three studies totaling 170 women (sexually functional = 78, sexually dysfunctional = 92, history of childhood sexual abuse = 49, no history of abuse = 121) were compiled. The Female Sexual Function Index cutoff score of 26.55 was used in determining sexual function status. In each study, women were presented with a neutral and erotic film while their genital sexual arousal was measured. After the films, participants completed a self-report measure of subjective arousal and perceived genital sensations.

The time course of pupil dilation evoked by visual sexual stimuli: Exploring the underlying ANS mechanisms.

The early processing of visual sexual stimuli shows signs of automaticity. Moreover, there is evidence for sex-specific patterns in cognitive and physiological responding to erotica. However, little is known about the time course of rapid pupillary responses to sexual stimuli and their correspondence with other measures of autonomic activity in women and men. To study pupil dilation as an implicit measure of sexual arousal at various stages of picture processing, we presented 35 heterosexual participants with pictures showing either erotic couples or single (male/female) erotic nudes, contrasted with people involved in everyday situations. Brightness-adjusted grayscale pictures were shown for a duration of 2,500 ms within the central visual field, alternating with perceptually matched patches. Left pupil diameter was recorded at 500 Hz using a video-based eye tracker. Skin conductance and heart rate were coregistered and correlated with latent components of pupil dilation (dissociated by temporal PCA). Whereas stimulus-evoked changes in pupil size indicated virtually no initial constriction, a rapid effect of appetence emerged (dilation to erotica within 500 ms). Responses at early stages of processing were remarkably consistent across both sexes. In contrast, later phases of pupil dilation, subjective ratings, and skin conductance responses showed a sex-specific pattern. Moreover, evidence for an association of early-onset pupil dilation and heart rate acceleration was found, suggestive of parasympathetic inhibition, whereas the late component was mainly related to sympathetically mediated skin conductance. Taken together, our results indicate that different temporal components of pupil responses to erotic stimuli may reflect divergent underlying neural mechanisms.