Men and women differ in amygdala response to visual sexual stimuli

Hamann, Stephan; Herman, Rebecca A; Nolan, Carla L; Wallen, Kim

doi:10.1038/nn1208

Cited by 603Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorSexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Men and women differ in amygdala response to visual sexual stimuli

Hamann, Stephan, Herman, Rebecca A, Nolan, Carla L, Wallen, Kim·2004·Nature Neuroscience

DOI 10.1038/nn1208

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Abstract

Men are generally more interested in and responsive to visual sexually arousing stimuli than are women. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show that the amygdala and hypothalamus are more strongly activated in men than in women when viewing identical sexual stimuli. This was true even when women reported greater arousal. Sex differences were specific to the sexual nature of the stimuli, were restricted primarily to limbic regions, and were larger in the left amygdala than the right amygdala. Men and women showed similar activation patterns across multiple brain regions, including ventral striatal regions involved in reward. Our findings indicate that the amygdala mediates sex differences in responsiveness to appetitive and biologically salient stimuli; the human amygdala may also mediate the reportedly greater role of visual stimuli in male sexual behavior, paralleling prior animal findings.

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In response to erotic stimuli, the amygdala and hypothalamus show a stronger response in men than in women.
“In response to erotic stimuli, the amygdala and hypothalamus show a stronger response in men than in women (Hamann et al., 2004).”
From A motivation model of sex addiction – Relevance to the controversy over the concept (2022) · cites this paper as Hamann et al., 2004
In humans, sexual arousal has been associated with increased neural activity within a number of regions within the motivational pathway including in the hypothalamus, striatum, amygdala insula, frontal cortex and cingulate.
“In humans, sexual arousal has been associated with increased neural activity within a number of regions within the motivational pathway including in the hypothalamus, striatum, amygdala insula, frontal cortex and cingulate (Arnow et al., 2002, Hamann et al., 2004, Karama et al., 2002, Park et al., 2001, Rauch et al., 1999, Redoute et al., 2000, Stoleru et al., 1999).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Hamann et al., 2004
Both men and women exhibited significant activation within ventral striatal regions in response to sexually arousing images.
“However, both men and women exhibited significant activation within ventral striatal regions in response to sexually arousing images (Hamann et al., 2004).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Hamann et al., 2004

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“In response to erotic stimuli, the amygdala and hypothalamus show a stronger response in men than in women (Hamann et al., 2004).”
Background
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Authors: Hamann, S., Herman, R. A., Nolan, C. L., & Wallen, K.
Affiliations: Emory University (US)
Corresponding author: Hamann, Stephan
ORCID: Hamann, Stephan
Wallen, Kim
Venue: Nature Neuroscience
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2004-03-07
Volume: 7
Issue: 4
Pages: 411-416
ISSN: 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
1546-1726
DOI: 10.1038/nn1208
OpenAlex: W2167594293
Cited by: 603
References: 49
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 40 · 2012: 30
FWCI: 14.75
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Science Foundation
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
Keywords: sex differences, amygdala, hypothalamus, visual sexual stimuli, sexual arousal, brain activation, limbic system, ventral striatum, reward, hemispheric lateralization, sexual behavior
MeSH terms: Adult, Amygdala, Arousal, Brain Mapping, Erotica, Evoked Potentials, Female, Humans, Hypothalamus, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reference Values, Sexual Behavior, Sex Characteristics, Sex Factors, Visual Perception

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Men and women differ in amygdala response to visual sexual stimuli

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