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Pheromone attracts straight
women and gay men
Smelling a male pheromone prompts the same brain
activity in homosexual men as it does in heterosexual women, a new
study has found. It did not excite the sex-related region in the
brains of heterosexual males, although an oestrogen-derived compound
found in female urine did.
The testosterone-derived chemical AND is found in male sweat and is
believed to be a pheromone. It activated the anterior hypothalamus
and medial preoptic area of gay men and straight women alike.
Researchers led by Ivanka Savic at the Karolinska University
Hospital in Sweden believe this brain region integrates the hormonal
and sensory cues used in guiding sexual behaviour.
The research demonstrates a likely link between brain function and
sexual orientation, Savic suggests. But she told New Scientist that
the study “does not answer the cause-and-effect question”.
So the brain-activation of gay men by AND may contribute to sexual
orientation of those men, or simply be the result of their
orientation and sexual behaviour. She added that the brain scans
revealed no anatomical differences between any of the participant’s
brains.
Lavender and cedar
The team observed 36 healthy men and women, who were exposed in turn
to AND, the oestrogen-derived compound EST and other odours,
including lavender oil, cedar oil, eugenol and butanol.
While the subjects were consciously aware of each unidentified smell
as it was presented, Savic does not believe the reactions in the
subjects brains were intentional in any way: “The pattern of
activation does not suggest cognitive processing,” she says.
PET and MRI scans revealed that the ordinary odours activated parts
of the brain associated with smelling in all test subjects. But in
addition to that activation, AND excited the brain areas associated
with sexual behaviour for female and gay male participants, as did
the EST for straight men.
Open minded
Ada Frumerman, a psychotherapist based in New York, US, who has
presented papers on related topics, says sexual orientation is
probably determined by a mixture of biological and psychological
influences.
“I think we should be open minded,” she says. “It would not be
advisable to focus solely on biological causes. Similarly, it would
do a disservice to only look for psychodynamic causes.”
Savic's team has also conducted similar experiments with gay women
and the researchers are currently analysing the results.
22:00 09 May 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Jennifer Viegas
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0407998102)
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Pheromones
Pheromones: Potential participants in your sex life
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Following Our Noses:
Other animals can communicate volumes through smell. Now it appears
we can too
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Male Courtship Pheromone Identified
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Nailing Down Pheromones in Humans
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Sensual Signals:
Some scientists believe they could be the key to choosing a suitable
lover.
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