We now know which area of ​​the brain corresponds to the clitoris

For the first time, researchers have been able to precisely define the location of the representation of the clitoris in the brain of women.

Their study, published this Monday in the scientific journal JNeurosci, also shows that the area of ​​the brain activated during stimulation of the clitoris is more extensive in women who have more sex.

Does a larger area allow you to better perceive the sensations? And is the size of this area what prompts more intercourse, or does frequent intercourse make it grow? Impossible to say for the moment, specify the researchers. But this work could help develop better treatments for people who have suffered sexual violence or have sexual problems in the future.

“How the female genitalia are represented in the human somatosensory cortex is completely under-studied,” explained Christine Heim, professor of medical psychology at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, and co-author of the study. .

"And this lack of knowledge has hampered research both on standard sexual behaviors, but also on pathological conditions," she added.

A body map

When any part of the body is affected, neural activity is triggered in the somatosensory cortex. Each part of the body corresponds to a different area of ​​the brain, forming a sort of body map. But until now, the precise place dedicated to the female genitalia remains a subject of debate. Previous studies had sometimes placed it under the representation of the foot, others near that of the hip. In question: imprecise stimulation techniques (for example by oneself or a partner), causing the simultaneous touching of other parts of the body, or triggering an excitation, thus blurring the results.

In 2005, thanks to a technique imitating a very localized tactile sensation, researchers were able to determine the precise location of the representation for men of their gender.

But this had not yet been done in women.

Read alsoDo you really know the clitoris?

To remedy this, 20 healthy women aged 18 to 45 were selected.

For stimulation, a small round object specifically designed for the occasion was applied above the underwear at the level of the clitoris: thanks to air jets, a small membrane began to vibrate slightly.

The approach was intended to be "as comfortable as possible" for the participants, says John-Dylan Haynes, co-author of the study.

Eight stimulations of the clitoris were carried out, of 10 seconds each, interspersed with 10 seconds of rest - as well as eight stimulations on the back of the right hand for comparison.

Conclusion: for both women and men, the representation of the genitals is well located near that of the hip.

However, the precise location varies for each woman within this area.

Brain plasticity

The researchers then investigated whether this area exhibited different characteristics depending on sexual activity. The 20 women were asked about the frequency of their intercourse over the past year, as well as since the beginning of their sexual life. Then, for each of them, the researchers determined the ten most activated points in the brain during stimulation, and measured the area obtained.

"We have found a link between the thickness of the genital area and the frequency of intercourse", especially in the last 12 months, explains Christine Heim. “The more intercourse, the thicker the area. The plasticity of the brain is well known: parts of the brain develop as a function is used. But a causal link could not be directly established here for the moment. Previous work, carried out on animals, has however shown that stimulation of the genitals of rats and mice effectively led to an expansion of the area of ​​the brain corresponding to these organs.

The study also did not determine whether a larger area resulted in better perception.

But Christine Heim, in a study published in 2013, had previously shown that people who have suffered traumatic sexual violence had a reduced genital area.

"We hypothesized, at the time, that this could be the brain's response to limit the harmful effect of the abuse," she explained, adding that more studies would be needed to check it.

In the future, the goal is to develop ways to help patients: the researcher wishes to study whether certain sexual disorders are linked to alterations in the genital area.

Therapies aimed at "training" this area could then, perhaps, be considered.