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  • INTRODUCTION: Learning processes like classical conditioning are involved in mediating sexual behavior. Yet, the neural bases underlying these processes have not been investigated so far. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore neural activations of classical conditioning of sexual arousal with respect to sex differences and contingency awareness. METHODS: In the acquisition phase, a geometric figure (CS+) was presented for 8 seconds and was followed by highly sexual arousing pictures (UCS), whereas another figure (CS-) predicted neutral pictures. Ratings and contingency awareness were assessed after the entire conditioning procedure. Forty subjects (20 females) were classified into one of four groups according to their sex and the development of contingency awareness (aware females, aware males, unaware females, and unaware males). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), skin conductance responses (SCRs), and subjective ratings. RESULTS: fMRI analysis showed two effects (awareness and sex) when comparing CS+ with CS-: (i) aware compared to unaware subjects showed enhanced differentiation (e.g., ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, occipital cortex); and (ii) men showed increased activity compared to women in the amygdala, thalamus, and brainstem. CS+ and CS- ratings differed in aware subjects only. However, no conditioned SCRs occurred in any group. CONCLUSION: The increased activity in men is in line with theories postulating that men are generally more prone to conditioning of sexual arousal. Further, contingency awareness seems to be an important factor in appetitive learning processes, which facilitates conditioning processes.

  • We examined the effects of symptom induction on neural activation in blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia. Nine phobic and 10 non-phobic subjects participated in an fMRI study in which they were presented with disorder-relevant, generally disgust-inducing, generally fear-evoking and neutral pictures. We observed diminished medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activity in patients compared to controls for phobia-relevant and disgust-inducing pictures. The MPFC has been shown to be critically involved in the automatic and effortful cognitive regulation of emotions. Therefore, the results might reflect reduced cognitive control of emotions in BII phobics during the experience of phobic symptoms as well as during states of disgust. The latter response component might be a result of the elevated disgust sensitivity of BII phobics.

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