Pedophilia Linked to Low Activity in Hypothalamus
|
New research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that an underactive hypothalamus may be part of the neurological basis of pedophilia, adult sexual attraction toward children.
The study, which appears in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry, involved 13 pedophilic patients and 14 control subjects. All participants viewed "emotional and erotic pictures" of adults while their neural activity was monitored via fMRI. The images collected showed reduced activity in the hypothalamus in pedophilic subjects. The level activity was found to correlate with the clinical measure, or extent, of pedophilia. ABSTRACT: Pedophilia is Linked to Reduced Activation in Hypothalamus and Lateral Prefrontal Cortex During Visual Erotic Stimulation. SHARE:
Posted In: Pedophilia | Tags: Hypothalamus | Pedophilia | Posted by FindCounseling.com Staff on September 24, 2007 at 11:29 AM | Permalink |
AboutThis page contains a single entry from Psychology Briefs, the FindCounseling.com Blog. The previous post was Grandpa Said What?!: Impulse Control and the Aging Brain. The next post is Male Voice Reveals Physical Prowress. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the Psychology Research Archives. Subscribe              ATOM RSS |
