G·A·B·B·A

In Mammals, sex is essential to propagation of species but is also costly to individuals, occupying the participants and exposing them to predation. Therefore the timely termination of sexual activity is as essential as its initiation. In males, a singular consummatory event, ejaculation, leads to termination of arousal and inhibition of further sexual behavior. In females, the processes that lead to termination of sexual arousal are much less clear.

It is known that sexual behavior is critically influenced by the central nervous system, with several brain regions and neuromodulators implicated. My hypothesis is that female sexual arousal is controlled by a neuronal system that integrates arousing sensory stimulation until an internal threshold is reached. Once crossed, this system terminates sexual drive and initiates a refractory period.

I expect that this project will not only shed new light on the mechanisms underlying female sexual behavior, but also reveal more general principles of the brain mechanisms involved in satiety and help us to understand in more detail this fundamental behavior that has a big impact on human condition.