Investigations into the neural underpinnings and biological correlates of asexuality

无性恋的神经基础和生物学相关性的研究

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04913
• 负责人: Brotto, Lori
• 金额: $ 2.84万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=687364
• 关键词: Investigations; into; neural; underpinnings; biological

Very little research exists on human asexuality, defined as “absence of sexual attraction.” While asexuality research seems on the surface to be a very specific field of research, the exceptional nature of asexuality may provide a unique human model for studying sexual differentiation of the brain, cognition, and behaviour. Thus, asexuality may be the key that unlocks our understanding of all the sexualities (typical and atypical).******A decade of research in my lab has tested the tenet that asexuality is a unique sexual orientation. Specifically, I have ruled out theories that asexuality is a sexual dysfunction, a psychological disorder, and a paraphilia. Furthermore, my work suggests that the lifelong lack of sexual attraction, essential to asexuality, may be an innate biological characteristic. In general, hormonal, genetic, and immunological processes have been hypothesized to influence sexual differentiation of the brain and to lead to variations in sexual attraction and orientation, and this seems also to be the case in asexuality. Here, we propose to probe this further.******Over 5 years we propose 3 studies, each employing validated methodologies in sexual orientation research not previously applied to asexuality. In Study 1, we will use automatic measures of sexual attraction (eye-movements and pupil dilations while viewing visual stimuli) to assess visual attention to and cognitive processing of sexually preferred and non-preferred cues. ******In Study 2, will we use a series of neuroimaging techniques to contrast asexual and sexual groups (including hypersexual and control participants) to investigate neuroanatomic features including brain structure and function. This will be the first-ever study of neuroimaging in asexuals. Brain activity will be recorded in a 90-min brain scanning session, while participants are at rest and while they are viewing erotic stimuli. ******Study 3 will replicate and expand my earlier study of biological markers of asexuality by investigating physical growth patterns; e.g., height, finger-length ratio, and handedness. These variables are considered biomarkers of variations in sexual orientation development (specifically among gay participants) and are thought to reflect prenatal influence of androgens. We will also investigate the fraternal birth order effect, another biomarker of sexual orientation, by investigating whether the number and sex of biological siblings of asexual individuals significantly differs from that of sexual individuals. ******Overall, the proposed research program will directly answer puzzling questions about the neural correlates of asexuality, and will refine our conceptual models of etiological pathways of the development of asexuality as well as other sexual orientations. It will transform our understanding of the sexual differentiation of the brain, cognition, and behaviour.

关于人类无性恋的研究很少，无性恋被定义为“缺乏性吸引力”。虽然无性恋研究表面上似乎是一个非常具体的研究领域，但无性恋的特殊性质可能为研究大脑、认知和行为的性别分化提供独特的人类模型。因此，无性恋可能是解锁我们对所有性行为（典型和非典型）的理解的关键。 *****我实验室十年的研究已经检验了无性恋是一种独特的性取向这一原则。具体来说，我已经排除了无性恋是性功能障碍、心理障碍和性欲倒错的理论。此外，我的研究表明，终生缺乏性吸引力（无性恋所必需的）可能是一种先天的生物特征。一般来说，荷尔蒙、遗传和免疫过程被假设会影响大脑的性别分化，并导致性吸引力和性取向的变化，无性恋似乎也是如此。在这里，我们建议进一步探讨这一点。*****在 5 年里，我们提出了 3 项研究，每项研究都采用了之前未应用于无性恋的经过验证的性取向研究方法。在研究 1 中，我们将使用性吸引力的自动测量（观看视觉刺激时的眼球运动和瞳孔扩张）来评估对性偏好和非偏好线索的视觉注意力和认知处理。 ******在研究 2 中，我们将使用一系列神经影像技术来对比无性恋和有性恋群体（包括性欲亢进和对照参与者），以研究神经解剖学特征，包括大脑结构和功能。这将是首次对无性动物进行神经影像学研究。将在 90 分钟的大脑扫描过程中记录参与者休息时和观看色情刺激时的大脑活动。 ******研究 3 将通过调查身体生长模式来复制和扩展我之前对无性恋生物标志物的研究；例如，身高、手指长度比例和惯用手。这些变量被认为是性取向发展变化的生物标志物（特别是同性恋参与者），并且被认为反映了雄激素的产前影响。我们还将通过调查无性个体的亲生兄弟姐妹的数量和性别是否与有性个体存在显着差异来研究兄弟出生顺序效应，这是性取向的另一个生物标志。 ******总体而言，拟议的研究计划将直接回答有关无性恋神经相关性的令人困惑的问题，并将完善我们无性恋以及其他性取向发展的病因学途径的概念模型。它将改变我们对大脑性别分化、认知和行为的理解。