- Scientists have found that if drug addicts are shown images of a drug, their brain activity immediately reacts and changes significantly
- But experts found that a ‘sex addict’s’ brain activity, when shown erotic images, does not change according to the severity of their addiction
- This suggests that sex addiction may not exist neurologically and that ‘condition’ could just be case of heightened sexual desire or libido
By
Emma Innes
09:03 EST, 19 July 2013
|
09:29 EST, 19 July 2013
Many celebrities, including Russell Brand (pictured) have claimed to suffer from a sex addiction, however, new evidence suggests it does not actually exist
Sex addiction may not exist, according to a study.
Many celebrities – including Russell Brand, Kanye West, and Tiger Woods – have claimed to suffer from the addiction and even used it as an excuse for infidelity
But new evidence suggests that ‘hypersexuality’ is not a real neurological or physiological disorder, but just a case of heightened sexual desire.
Researchers studied 50 people who had been diagnosed with sex addiction.
They were asked to look at sexual images to evoke pleasant and unpleasant feelings - a test used in similar studies when monitoring how drug addicts’ brains respond to images of drugs.
Drug addicts who observe images of drugs
show an almost instantaneous change in brain activity when photographs
of the substance they are addicted to are placed in front of them.
But scientists found that the brain responses from ‘sex addicts’ were related only to their level of sexual desire, not to the severity of their ‘condition’.
Study author Nicole Prause, of the
University of California, Los Angeles, told Popsci: ‘Hypersexuality does
not appear to explain brain differences in sexual response any more
than just having a high libido.’
She added that this ‘suggests that hypersexuality explains nothing in particular about brain responses to erotica’.
The aim of the study was to establish whether brain responses to sexual images could be predicted based on the symptoms of sex addiction.
Marked changes in brain activity are required to establish whether or not sex can be viewed as addictive in the same way that substances, such as heroin, are.
The researchers studied 39 men and 13 women all of whom said they had some degree of sex addiction.
Researchers found sex addicts’ brain response to
sexual images was related to their level of sexual desire, not to
the severity of their addiction. Tiger Woods (left) and Kanye West (right) both admit having sex addictions
They were asked to look at a range of both sexual, and non-sexual, images while their brain responses were monitored.
Brain activity was then monitored
to record how it changes in response to different images. Increased
activity could be suggestive of an addiction.
However, there was found to be no link between the severity of a person’s addiction and their brain’s response to the pictures.
Although Ms Prause questioned whether or not hypersexuality can really be called an addiction, she did acknowledge that there could be an effect that is too subtle to be picked up with EEG.
The research was published in the journal Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology.
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The comments below have not been moderated.
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It’s just an excuse for men that don’t have any will power, but in Tiger’s case he’s been spiraling out of control since his Father died.
An Englishwoman
,
Newcastle UK-Tampa FL,
19/7/2013 20:48
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Any headline which contains the word ‘probably’ is always going to be pure tripe! Probably!
Robin of Locksley
,
The real world, United Kingdom,
19/7/2013 20:13
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Or it could just be lack of self control…
minxstar
,
Inthecountry,
19/7/2013 19:55
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One of many “addictions†and “diseases†that AREN’T.
Barbwire
,
NH, USA,
19/7/2013 19:54
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“Scientists believe ‘hypersexuality’ could just be high libido†— Not so much high libido as weak will…
Just Dona
,
Metropolis, United Kingdom,
19/7/2013 19:08
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Bunch of nonsense. It’s ALL ego – period.
Bari
,
L.A., United States,
19/7/2013 18:57
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Of course it’s not addiction. It’s just an excuse for men and women to sleep about and claim they have an addiction. I would think better off them if they stood up and just said yeah I messed up big time. Anyone with a brain knew this wasn’t true anyway.
Linda Courtney
,
carrickfergus, United Kingdom,
19/7/2013 18:54
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Funny how it’s always the rich and famous who have a “sex addiction†and never plain old Joe who works in Asda, isn’t it?!
Maria
,
Plymouth,
19/7/2013 18:51
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Of course it doesn’t. It’s high libido combined with money and power providing the lubricant for sex whenever and however they want it. There are many who would do the same given the same opportunities.
me
,
San Jose,
19/7/2013 18:46
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Of course it doesn’t – but I think its a symptom of much deeper psychological problems… calling it sex-addiction is just headline grabbing statement.
vanessa stratford
,
cinderford,
19/7/2013 18:39
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