Pheromones and cerebral electrical activityPheromones and cerebral electrical activity
Tatu K, Molo MT, Perozzo P, Castelli L, Vighetti S Tatu K, Molo MT, Perozzo P, Castelli L, Vighetti S
CE.R.NE., Fondazione Carlo Molo, Torino, ItalyCE.R.NE., Fondazione Carlo Molo, Torino, Italy
AIM OF THIS STUDYAIM OF THIS STUDY
To examine To examine cerebral electrical activitycerebral electrical activity during the during the nasal administration of male and female nasal administration of male and female pheromonespheromones in transsexuals and eterosexuals, during erotic visual in transsexuals and eterosexuals, during erotic visual stimulationstimulation
The vomeronasal organ (VNO)The vomeronasal organ (VNO)
The vomeronasal organ: The vomeronasal organ: connection with the hypothalamusconnection with the hypothalamus
Subjects:Subjects:–6 heterosexual male–6 heterosexual female–6 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals
VNO detected with an optical fibre probe
Cerebral electrical activity recording (EEG): BrainMapping technique
16 erotic pictures of naked people (8 man and 8women) selected from the International AffectivePicture System (Lang, 1999) were presented to eachsubject.
First sessionFirst sessionMtF Estratetraenol/AndrostadienoneMales Estratetraenol/placeboFemales Androstadienone/placebo
Second sessionSecond sessionMtF the oppositeMales the oppositeFemales the opposite
ResultsResults
A specific software transformed all the A specific software transformed all the numerical valuesnumerical values recorded by each recorded by each electrode into a electrode into a spectrum of coloursspectrum of colours, thus , thus creating a brain mapcreating a brain map
Statistical analysis showed significant differences in the two following conditions:
1. in the MtF group when comparing the androstadienone with the estratetraenol condition
2. between the MtF and the heterosexual women during the
androstadienone condition.
ProcedureProcedure
MtF Estratetraenol
Males Estratetraenol/placebo
Females Androstadienone/placebo
MtF Androstadienone
Males the opposite
Females the opposite
Results Results 1) In the 1) In the MtF MtF subgroupsubgroup comparing the comparing the Androstadienone Androstadienone to theto the Estratetraenol Estratetraenol condition we found: condition we found:
major decrease in alpha rhythm (p=0.015) major decrease in alpha rhythm (p=0.015) major increase in beta rhythm (p=0.001) major increase in beta rhythm (p=0.001) with with androstadienoneandrostadienone = cerebral arousal = cerebral arousal
MTFMTF
AndrostadienoneAndrostadienone VSVS EstratetraenolEstratetraenol
ProcedureProcedure
MtF Estratetraenol
Males Estratetraenol/placebo
Females Androstadienone/placebo
MtF Androstadienone
Males the opposite
Females the opposite
ResultsResults2) During the 2) During the AndrostadienoneAndrostadienone condition, condition, comparing the comparing the MtF MtF and theand the Female Female subgroupssubgroups we found: we found:
major decrease in alpha rhythm (p=0.045) major decrease in alpha rhythm (p=0.045) major increase in beta rhythm (p=0.045) in major increase in beta rhythm (p=0.045) in the MtF subgroup = cerebral arousalthe MtF subgroup = cerebral arousal
AndrostadienoneAndrostadienone
MtFMtF VS VS Heterosexual females Heterosexual females
ProcedureProcedureMtF Estratetraenol
Males Estratetraenol/placebo
Females Androstadienone/placebo
MtF Androstadienone
Males the opposite
Females the opposite
ResultsResults3) No significant differences were found among the other 3) No significant differences were found among the other conditions:conditions:
• between the MtF and the heterosexual males in the between the MtF and the heterosexual males in the estratetraenol conditionestratetraenol condition• between the estratetraenol condition and placebo in the between the estratetraenol condition and placebo in the heterosexual males heterosexual males • between the androstadienone condition and placebo in the between the androstadienone condition and placebo in the heterosexual females heterosexual females
ConclusionConclusion
Our study highlights two important findings:Our study highlights two important findings:
1.1. New evidence of biological differences New evidence of biological differences between transsexuals and menbetween transsexuals and men
2.2. Transsexuals are more aroused than Transsexuals are more aroused than heterosexuals by erotic stimuliheterosexuals by erotic stimuli
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