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Neuropsychiatry of Hypersexuality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Dan J. Stein ,
Frans Hugo ,
Piet Oosthuizen ,
Susan M. Hawkridge  and
Ben van Heerden
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Abstract

Relatively few studies of the psychobiology of hypersexuality have been undertaken. Nevertheless, the literature does suggest the possibility of a neurobiology of hypersexuality. Three cases of hypersexual behavior are presented in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders, and the literature on this phenomenon is briefly reviewed. These case studies and the literature provide evidence that different brain systems may play a role in this disorder. Frontal lesions may be accompanied by disinhibition, including impulsive hypersexual response to external cues, while striatal lesions may be accompanied by repetitive triggering of internally generated response patterns. Temporal-limbic lesions may be accompanied by disturbances in sexual appetite itself, including change in the direction of sexual drive. These case studies demonstrate that a neurobiology of hypersexuality may prove of some heuristic value in the clinic. However, further research is required to consolidate the literature in this area.

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Type
Feature Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 5 , Issue 1: The Epidemiology, Psychopharmacology, and Neurobiology of Compulsive Sexual Behavior , January 2000 , pp. 36 - 46
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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