Systematic Review: Neurological Effects of Online Porn Consumption

Abstract

There is neuroscientific evidence that pornography consumption affects the human brain in a similar way to drugs, causing in some of its users negative consequences of its uncontrolled use. Objective: To carry out a systematic review in order to investigate the neurological effects of online pornography consumption. Methods: A systematic review of 28 studies was carried out in the PubMed and Virtual Health Library (BVS) databases between May 15th and 29th, 2022. To maximize the uptake of works, the references of the selected literature were also searched. Results and Discussion: The chosen studies involved individuals aged between 18 and 49 years, with sample sizes ranging from 9 to 156 participants. Functional Magnetic Resonance was the most applied neuroimaging technique (n=8). The effects observed in the human brain caused by the frequent consumption of pornography found were a decrease in gray matter, erosion of the prefrontal cortex, and occurring during visual sexual stimulation there was activation of the hypothalamus in men, greater activation of the nucleus accumbens, greater activation of the amygdala and also increased insular activity. Conclusion: The neural effects exerted by the use of pornography consist of the dysregulation of dopamine levels and the neuroplasticity promoted in the limbic system. Such changes can lead to the development of compulsive behavior and depression.