{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T19:17:32Z","timestamp":1790363852820,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]],"date-time":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1578960000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]],"date-time":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1578960000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.elsevier.com\/tdm\/userlicense\/1.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Rutgers University Research"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2R-25-GM060826"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2R-25-GM060826"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Rutgers University Research"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2R-25-GM060826"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2R-25-GM060826"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["jsm.jsexmed.org","elsevier.com","sciencedirect.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The projection of the human male urogenital system onto the paracentral lobule has not previously been mapped comprehensively.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>To map specific urogenital structures onto the primary somatosensory cortex toward a better understanding of sexual response in men.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we mapped primary somatosensory cortical responses to self-stimulation of the penis shaft, glans, testicles, scrotum, rectum, urethra, prostate, perineum, and nipple. We further compared neural response with erotic and prosaic touch of the penile shaft.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Main Outcome Measure<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We identified the primary mapping site of urogenital structures on the paracentral lobule and identified networks involved in perceiving touch as erotic.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We mapped sites on the primary somatosensory cortex to which components of the urogenital structures project in men. Evidence is provided that penile cutaneous projection is different from deep penile projection. Similar to a prior report in women, we show that the nipple projects to the same somatosensory cortical region as the genitals. Evidence of differential representation of erotic and nonerotic genital self-stimulation is also provided, the former activating sensory networks other than the primary sensory cortex, indicating a role of \u201ctop-down\u201d activity in erotic response.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Clinical Implications<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>We map primary sites of projection of urogenital structures to the primary somatosensory cortex and differentiate cortical sites of erotic from nonerotic genital self-stimulation.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Strength &amp; Limitations<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive mapping onto the primary somatosensory cortex of the projection of the components of the urogenital system in men and the difference in cortical activation in response to erotic vs nonerotic self-stimulation. The nipple was found to project to the same cortical region as the genitals. Evidence is provided that superficial and deep penile stimulation project differentially to the cortex, suggesting that sensory innervation of the penis is provided by more than the (pudendal) dorsal nerve.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>This study reconciles prior apparently conflicting findings and offers a comprehensive mapping of male genital components to the paracentral lobule. We provide evidence of differential projection of light touch vs pressure applied to the penile shaft, suggesting differential innervation of its superficial, vs deep structure. Similar to the response in women, we found nipple projection to genital areas of the paracentral lobule. We also provide evidence of differential representation of erotic and nonerotic genital self-stimulation, the former activating sensory networks other than the primary sensory cortex, indicating a role of top-down activity in erotic response.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsxm.2019.12.007","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,15]],"date-time":"2020-01-15T02:09:54Z","timestamp":1579054194000},"page":"603-613","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/elsevier_cm_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Male Urogenital System Mapped Onto the Sensory Cortex: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Kachina","family":"Allen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology , Newark, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Rutgers University , Newark, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Department of Psychology , Princeton, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Princeton University , Princeton, NJ , USA"},{"name":"School of Health and Human Sciences , Bilinga Qld , Australia"},{"name":"Southern Cross University , Bilinga Qld , Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nan","family":"Wise","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology , Newark, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Rutgers University , Newark, NJ , USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eleni","family":"Frangos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology , Newark, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Rutgers University , Newark, NJ , USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barry","family":"Komisaruk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology , Newark, NJ , USA"},{"name":"Rutgers University , Newark, NJ , USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib1","article-title":"Defining sexual health: Report of a technical consultation on sexual health, January 28\u201331, 2002","author":"World Health Organisation","year":"2006"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/S0302-2838(03)00215-X","article-title":"Male erectile dysfunction and health-related quality of life","volume":"44","author":"S\u00e1nchez-Cruz","year":"2003","journal-title":"Eur Urol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1111\/jsm.12374","article-title":"A systematic review of the psychosocial outcomes associated with erectile dysfunction: does the impact of erectile dysfunction extend beyond a man\u2019s inability to have sex?","volume":"11","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsxm.2016.01.019","article-title":"Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction","volume":"13","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-6109.2009.01618.x","article-title":"Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction","volume":"7","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib6","first-page":"248","volume-title":"The cerebral cortex of man; a clinical study of localization of function","author":"Penfield","year":"1950"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1016\/0013-4694(95)00226-X","article-title":"Localization of functional regions of human mesial cortex by somatosensory evoked potential recording and by cortical stimulation","volume":"100","author":"Allison","year":"1996","journal-title":"Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1002\/hbm.10078","article-title":"Dorsal penile nerve stimulation elicits left-hemisphere dominant activation in the second somatosensory cortex","volume":"18","author":"M\u00e4kel\u00e4","year":"2003","journal-title":"Hum Brain Mapp"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-5597(97)00093-2","article-title":"Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields elicited by dorsal penile, posterior tibial and median nerve stimulation","volume":"108","author":"Nakagawa","year":"1998","journal-title":"Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2009.12.034","article-title":"Dynamic subcortical blood flow during male sexual activity with ecological validity: a perfusion NRI study","volume":"50","author":"Georgiadis","year":"2010","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5984","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.0712-05.2005","article-title":"The sensory cortical representation of the human penis: revisiting somatotopy in the male homunculus","volume":"25","author":"Kell","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Neurosci"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1002\/cne.20735","article-title":"Human brain activation during sexual stimulation of the penis","volume":"493","author":"Georgiadis","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Comp Neurol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26428","DOI":"10.3402\/snp.v5.26428","article-title":"The cortical sensory representation of genitalia in women and men: a systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Cazala","year":"2015","journal-title":"Socioaffect Neurosci Psychol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cortex.2013.07.010","article-title":"Reports of intimate touch: erogenous zones and somatosensory cortical organization","volume":"53","author":"Turnbull","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cortex"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1002\/ca.23006","article-title":"Prostate-induced orgasms: a concise review illustrated with a highly relevant case study","volume":"31","author":"Levin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Anat"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.56021\/9780801884900","article-title":"The science of orgasms","author":"Komisaruk","year":"2006"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1207","DOI":"10.1007\/s10508-016-0745-z","article-title":"Topography of human erogenous zones","volume":"45","author":"Nummenmaa","year":"2016","journal-title":"Arch Sex Behav"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1007\/s10911-017-9380-0","article-title":"Innervation of the male breast: psychological and physiological consequences","volume":"22","author":"Misery","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1326","DOI":"10.1016\/j.urology.2010.03.080","article-title":"Cross-sectional study examining four types of male penile and urethral \u201cplay.\u201d","volume":"76","year":"2010","journal-title":"Urology"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1481","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2012.03.006","article-title":"Functional neuroimaging studies of sexual arousal and orgasm in healthy men and women: a review and meta-analysis","volume":"36","author":"Stol\u00e9ru","year":"2012","journal-title":"Neurosci Biobehav Rev"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2822","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-6109.2011.02388.x","article-title":"Women\u2019s clitoris, vagina, and cervix mapped on the sensory cortex: fMRI evidence","volume":"8","author":"Komisaruk","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1006\/cbmr.1996.0014","article-title":"AFNI: software for analysis and visualization of functional magnetic resonance neuroimages","volume":"29","author":"Cox","year":"1996","journal-title":"Comput Biomed Res"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02332973","article-title":"Neurogenic erectile dysfunction","volume":"11","author":"Lue","year":"2001","journal-title":"Clin Auton Res"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib24","first-page":"291","article-title":"Pelvis and Perineum","volume-title":"Netter\u2019s atlas of human anatomy for CPT coding","author":"Kirschner","year":"2005","edition":"1st ed."},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib25","article-title":"The science of orgasm [internet]","author":"Komisaruk","year":"2006"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31481","DOI":"10.3402\/snp.v6.31481","article-title":"Activation of sensory cortex by imagined genital stimulation: an fMRI analysis","volume":"6","author":"Wise","year":"2016","journal-title":"Socioaffect Neurosci Psychol"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2269","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-6109.2011.02322.x","article-title":"A quantitative meta-analysis on cue-induced male sexual arousal","volume":"8","author":"K\u00fchn","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Sex Med"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3783","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.4835-05.2006","article-title":"Somatic sensation of hand-object interactive movement is associated with activity in the left inferior parietal cortex","volume":"26","author":"Naito","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Neurosci"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1080\/14681994.2011.649252","article-title":"Non-genital orgasms","volume":"26","author":"Komisaruk","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sex Relatsh Ther"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nss117","article-title":"Subcortical BOLD responses during visual sexual stimulation vary as a function of implicit porn associations in women","volume":"9","author":"Borg","year":"2014  1","journal-title":"Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci"},{"key":"2023011111081507600_bib31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"788","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-6109.2007.00765.x","article-title":"Importance of and satisfaction with sex among men and women worldwide: results of the global better sex survey","volume":"5","author":"Mulhall","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Sex Med"}],"container-title":["The Journal of Sexual Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S1743609519318661?httpAccept=text\/xml","content-type":"text\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S1743609519318661?httpAccept=text\/plain","content-type":"text\/plain","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article-pdf\/17\/4\/603\/48527536\/jsm_17_4_603.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article-pdf\/17\/4\/603\/48527536\/jsm_17_4_603.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,9]],"date-time":"2023-02-09T14:43:51Z","timestamp":1675953831000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article\/17\/4\/603\/6973868"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jsxm.2019.12.007","relation":{},"ISSN":["1743-6109","1743-6095"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1743-6109","type":"electronic"},{"value":"1743-6095","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2020,4]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,14]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Elsevier","name":"publisher","label":"This article is maintained by"},{"value":"Male Urogenital System Mapped Onto the Sensory Cortex: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence","name":"articletitle","label":"Article Title"},{"value":"The Journal of Sexual Medicine","name":"journaltitle","label":"Journal Title"},{"value":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jsxm.2019.12.007","name":"articlelink","label":"CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version"},{"value":"article","name":"content_type","label":"Content Type"},{"value":"\u00a9 2019 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright"}]}}