Biopsychology of Female Sexual Behavior

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The goal of this research is to study the regulation by the nervous system of the female sexual behavior of an animal that displays sexual receptivity at all times of the cycle and year, the female musk shrew. Musk shrews are primitive mammals from tropical and subtropical areas of Southeastern Asia. Reproduction is not cyclic, but occurs year round whenever local conditions are favorable. Female musk shrews maintain high levels of serum testosterone. Experiments are designed to test the idea that conversion of testosterone to estrogen in certain parts of the brain are critical for the activation of female sexual behavior. In musk shrews mating occurs when estrogen levels are low and testosterone concentrations are high. The conversion of testosterone to estrogen to activate sexual behavior is better than maintaining high levels of estrogen since estrogen can act as a neurotoxin. Androgens have been implicated in the expression of female sexual behavior in other animals so these studies may shed light on neural regulation of female sexual behavior in other female animals.