Engaging in sex alters structure of certain regions of the brain that differ in size between males and females, Japanese researchers say.
Engaging in sex alters structure of certain regions of the brain that differ in size between males and females, Japanese researchers say.u00a0They have pointed out that there are several brain regions linked to sexual behaviour that differ in size between the sexes in humans and other mammals.
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Shinji Tsukahara and his colleagues at Saitama University near Tokyo wanted to find out whether a region known to be bigger in males was altered by sex.u00a0They compared the brains of male rats who had never had sex before with their more experienced counterparts.
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They discovered that the number of spiny structures located at the neuronal synapses was significantly lower in rats that had copulated, New Scientist reported.u00a0Tsukahara believes that hormonal changes triggered by the presence of the female, as well as sensory inputs from the penis may be behind the decrease in spines.
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These regions may serve as "a one-way road to learn how to mate", he suggested.u00a0Once they have been activated for the first time, they may be lost, as they are no longer needed.u00a0The spines also play a part in the sexual behaviour of female rats.u00a0Tsukahara presented the findings at the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington DC.
