Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

9-3-1976

Abstract

The human clinical literature suggests that hyposexuality is frequently associated with temporal lobe epilepsy, but rarely occurs with other forms of epilepsy. This experiment tested the hypothesis that an irritative epileptic focus in the temporal lobes results in hyposexuality. Baseline brain activity and sexual performance were recorded in male cats. Focal epilepsy was then induced by injection of aluminum hydroxide (Amphogel) unilaterally into either basolateral amygdala (temporal lobe group) or anterior sigmoid gyrus (motor cortex group). Both groups gradually developed EEG and clinical signs of epilepsy. Animals with an epileptic focus in the temporal lobe exhibited a dramatic decline in or a complete suppression of sexual behavior compared with baseline and control group performance. In contrast, over repeated test sessions, motor cortex and unoperated normal cats slightly increased their sexual performance. Decreases in sexual activity in the temporal lobe group were correlated with the appearance of interictal spiking and at times preceded obvious clinical seizure activity. There was no relationship between epileptic EEG activity and sexual behavior in the motor cortex group. Aggressive behavior increased with the development of epilepsy, but this occurred in both the temporal lobe and motor cortex groups. Also, no differences in feeding behavior were noted between the groups. These data indicate that hyposexuality is a unique concommitant of temporal lobe epilepsy, and that it is the result of abnormal and excessive neuronal activity in structures which are hypothesized to exert an inhibitory influence over sexual behavior.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dennis Michael Feeney

Second Committee Member

John Marshall Rhodes

Third Committee Member

Frank Anderson Logan

Fourth Committee Member

A. Earl Walker

Fifth Committee Member

John Paul Gluck Jr.

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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