SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND HORMONES IN AGING

这项研究计划的长期目标是确定 那些导致或与之相关的因素 伴随老年而来的性行为。我们的研究集中在 关于性行为的下降和随之而来的 荷尔蒙环境对老化恒河猴的影响 可能有助于理解性欲下降的原因 包括人类在内的年老灵长类动物的行为。在一个社会中， 人口正在稳步老龄化，需要进行这样的研究 变得越来越重要。我们的研究是实验性的， 跨学科，并包括对 环境操纵后的行为端点，以及 荷尔蒙变量。我们的具体目标是确定：(1) 对环境条件的操纵程度，如 社会状况和性伴侣可以改变性别 在老年男性身上的表现，因此允许我们评估 性表现下降的依赖程度 根据心理变量(2)的下降程度 性行为与大脑的能力有关- 老年男性的垂体-性腺系统，因为该系统控制着 荷尔蒙环境调节性表现和 生殖功能(3)性行为的具体变化 随着时间的推移而发生，伴随着血清激素的相关变化 水平，以及性行为是否以及在什么水平上达到 在非常年老的时候是渐近的。雄性老年恒河猴(18-28岁) 我们监测了她们的性行为和激素水平 1970年以来为我们提供了一个独特的机会来确定 性行为的生理和心理相关因素 非人灵长类动物种群的老龄化。

The-long term objectives of this research program are to identify those factors that cause or are associated with the decline in sexual activity that accompanies old age. Our research is focused on the decline in sexual behavior and accompanying changes in the hormonal milieu of aging rhesus macaques for what that research may contribute to an understanding of the decline in sexual behavior of aging primates, including man. In a society whose population is steadily growing older, the need for such research grows in importance. Our research is experimental, interdisciplinary, and includes the quantitative assessment of behavioral endpoints following manipulation of environmental, and hormonal variables. Our specific aims are to determine: (1) the extent to which manipulation of environmental conditions such as the social situation and sexual partner can modify sexual performance in old males and hence permit us to assess the degree to which the decline in sexual performance is dependent upon psychological variables (2) the extent to which the decline in sexual performance is related to the competency of the brain- pituitary-gonadal system in old males as that system governs the hormonal environment modulating sexual performance and reproductive function (3) the specific changes in sexual behavior that occur over time with associated changes in serum hormone levels, and if and at what level sexual behavior reaches an asymptote in very old age. Old rhesus males (18-28 years old) whose sexual performance and hormone levels we have monitored since 1970 provide us with a unique opportunity to determine the physiological and psychological correlates of sexual behavior in an aging population of nonhuman primates.