Post Date December, 03 2023
This is by no means alarmist. According to a new German study, people who watch a large number of pornographic films may have smaller brain regions responsible for reward and motivation, and less active levels. The research paper is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association - Psychiatry.
Dr. Simone K ü hn of the Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany, and Jurgen Gallinat of the Charlotte Medical University in Berlin jointly conducted the study. They surveyed 64 healthy men aged 21 to 45, including their habits of watching pornographic films. The researchers also used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure participants' brain capacity and observe their brain responses to pornographic images. The results showed that men who regularly watched pornographic films or images exhibited significant brain changes compared to men who did not watch pornographic films or images at all.
Dr. Kuhn pointed out, "We have found that the more people watch porn, the smaller the volume of the striatum (a region of the brain associated with reward response mechanisms and motivational behavior)." She added, "In addition, it has been found that people who watch porn more often have a less active part of the striatum that responds to sexual stimuli." The researchers also found that, The connection between the striatum and the prefrontal cortex, the outer layer of the brain that is related to physical behavior and decision-making, can deteriorate as time spent watching pornographic films increases.
However, this study does not prove that pornographic films cause brain changes. Dr. Kuhn pointed out that whether watching pornographic films is truly harmful cannot be concluded. Research has not shown that watching pornographic movies can lead to decreased brain volume and activity. "Because it's actually not clear yet whether watching pornographic movies causes brain changes or whether people who are born with a certain type of brain tend to watch pornographic movies more often," Dr. Kuhn explained. "Unfortunately, based on current research results, we still cannot answer this question." However, she said, the research results are the first to explain the relationship between watching pornographic movies and decreased brain capacity, And the weakening of the brain's response to sexual stimuli.
Regarding the results of this study, Dr. Gregory Tau of the New York State School of Psychiatry at Columbia University commented, "It's not good to overdo everything, and it's not scary to stop at a moderate level." Tao was not involved in the study, and he believes that more research should be done in this area, and it will require long-term research to determine whether pornographic films can cause brain changes. "It is possible that some people have a certain type of brain and are more susceptible to such behavior," he said. "Alternatively, excessive viewing of pornographic films can cause brain changes. Alternatively, it can be both." In addition, Kuhner said, other behaviors such as driving a taxi are related to changing brain size and function. ". "What people often do can basically shape their brain structure and function," he said
