Date of Award
2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Anatomy and Cell Biology
Supervisor
Dr. Lique Coolen
Second Advisor
Dr. Micheál Lehman
Third Advisor
Dr. Dan Belliveau
Abstract
Male sexual behaviour is a rewarding behaviour with ejaculation being the most reinforcing component. However, the neural pathways that process and relay ejaculation-specific sensory information and mediate sexual reward are currently unknown. A candidate spinothalamic pathway has recently been discovered to be in the position to process and relay ejaculatory-related cues from the reproductive organs to the brain. This pathway consists of a population of lumbar spinothalamic cells projecting to an area of the thalamus, known as the medial parvocellular subparafascicular thalamic nucleus, and expresses several neuropeptides, including galanin and cholecystokinin. The current study demonstrates that this spinothalamic pathway and galanin, but not cholecystokinin, is essential for processing of ejaculatory-related information and sexual reward and potentially contributes to sexual satiety. These findings form a major step towards a better understanding of sensory pathways to reward and satiety and provide a functional role for a spinothalamic pathway related to sexual reward.
Recommended Citation
Bailey, Allisha M., "THE ROLE OF A SPINOTHALAMIC PATHWAY REGULATING SEXUAL INHIBITION AND REWARD" (2009). Digitized Theses. 3964.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3964