Reduced segregation and integration of structural brain network associated with sympathetic and dorsal penile nerve activity in anejaculation patients: a graph‐based connectome study

Abstract

Introduction Recent neuroimaging studies have indicated that some brain areas are involved in the sexual behavior process. Pre‐mature ejaculation patients exhibit altered brain activation and abnormal cortical structures. However, there has been no research evaluating the topological organization of structural brain network in anejaculation (AE). Methods We employed diffusion tensor imaging data and graph theory to examine the whole‐brain structural networks among 16 AE patients and 23 healthy controls. In addition, the results of sexual function assessment were also obtained from each patient for symptom assessment. Moreover, the relationships between these clinical features and the altered topological characteristics of AE patients were also explored. Results Decreased clustering coefficient was found in the right amygdala, inferior temporal gyrus, and left pallidum of AE. AE also showed increased path length in the right post‐central gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, putamen, pallidum and left heschl gyrus, temporal pole (superior temporal gyrus); however, these altered brain regions showed no significant differences after false discovery rate correction. Moreover, the path length between subcortical and frontal regions was increased in AE. In addition, negative correlations were found between the altered nodal parameters and the amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potentials of dorsal nerve, sympathetic skin response located in the penis. Conclusion Together, our results suggest that AE was associated with disruptions in the topological organization of structural brain networks. The decreased clustering coefficient in temporal and subcortical regions and the increased path length between subcortical and frontal regions may contribute to AE. These findings provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of AE.

Impaired frontal‐parietal control network in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome revealed by graph theoretical analysis: A DTI study

“…The nodes and edges are the two basic elements of the brain network. The procedures of defining the nodes and edges of the brain network have been previously described in previous neuroimaging studies [26][27][28] .…”

Associations Between Altered Cerebral Activity Patterns and Psychosocial Disorders in Patients With Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction: A Mediation Analysis of fMRI

“…With the application of neuroimaging technologies, the close correlation between sexuality and the central nervous system (CNS) is becoming clearer (14)(15)(16). Many male sexual dysfunctions, such as ED (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), premature ejaculation (23,24), and anejaculation (25) have been detected to be associated with alterations in the structure and function of the brain. For example, patients with pED demonstrated the atrophied gray matter volume (17,19), altered white matter microstructure (26), aberrant activity patterns (20), and disrupted topological properties (22) in multiple brain regions, such as prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and insular cortex.…”

Diffusion tensor imaging: A new valuable method for understanding male sexual functioning

“…4 Using the latter technique in the present issue of Andrology, Chen and co-authors provided important new information on the specific brain neural networks involved in the regulation of erection and ejaculation. [5][6][7] In the first study, by comparing subjects with idiopathic (the term psychogenic, although still largely used, is to be considered obsolete) 8 erectile dysfunction (iED) and healthy controls (HC) they reported that cortex regions, including precuneus, precentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and occipital cortex, are tightly connected with important subcortical areas including caudate nucleus, putamen, insula, and hippocampus. In addition, they found that these connections are reduced in patients with iED when compared to controls.…”

“…9 Interestingly, in the present issue, the same Chen and co-authors reported data-derived DTI even in subjects with ejaculatory dysfunction. 6,7 In the first study, they compared 21 subjects with premature ejaculation (PE) to 27 HC. 6 Data analysis showed that subjects with PE had a significantly decreased functional connectivity in the left amygdala, right pallidum, and thalamus and decreased global efficacy in the left amygdala, right rolandic operculum, supramarginal gyrus, Heschel gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, pallidum, and thalamus.…”

“…Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a particular fMRI technique based on the measurement of water diffusion in the tissue, which allows the determination of brain networks and their topological properties . Using the latter technique in the present issue of Andrology , Chen and co‐authors provided important new information on the specific brain neural networks involved in the regulation of erection and ejaculation . In the first study, by comparing subjects with idiopathic (the term psychogenic, although still largely used, is to be considered obsolete) erectile dysfunction (iED) and healthy controls (HC) they reported that cortex regions, including precuneus, precentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and occipital cortex, are tightly connected with important subcortical areas including caudate nucleus, putamen, insula, and hippocampus.…”