The Pharmacology of Sexual Function and Dysfunction: Proceedings of the Esteve Foundation VI, Son Vida, Mallorca, 9-12 October 1994(v. 1075 International Congress S.)

The pharmaceutical industry has, over the past decade, renewed it's interest in the search for sexually enhancing drugs, mainly with a view to finding pharmacological agents which might prove useful in the clinical management of sexual problems. An additional issue, of increasing importance, is the occurrence of sexual side effects from modern pharmacological treatments. The likelihood of finding a drug which predictably enhances sexual response in humans remains unclear. The animal data outlined in this proceedings show us that brain mechanisms relevant to sexuality are also involved in other types of appetitive behaviour, and whether there is a specific pharmacology of sexual function remains a key question. For the above mentioned symposium, some of the principal researchers in both the animal and human fields of sexual pharmacology were brought together. The interaction between them, found in the edited discussions of this publication, adds a useful dimension to their individual papers.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Does a specific pharmacology of sexual function exist?: how does incentive motivational theory apply to sexual behaviour?, J. Stewart; discussion; neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying appetitive and consummatory elements of masculine sexual behaviour, B.J. Everitt; discussion; neural mechanisms of sexual motivation and performance in females, J.G. Pfaus; discussion; sexual arousal and performance are modulated by adrenergic-neuropeptide-steroid interactions, J.T. Clark; discussion; neuropeptides, stress and sexuality - towards a new psychopharmacology, J. Herbert; discussion; context-sensitive variation in the regulation of erection, B.D. Sachs; discussion; the neurochemistry of sexual satiety; an experimental model of inhibited desire, M. Mas et al; discussion; reassessing the role of medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamic neurons in appetitive aspects of masculine sexual behaviour, M.J. Baum; discussion. Part 2 Pharmacological studies in humans - conceptual and methodological issues: testosterone and prolactin - behavioural and psychophysiological approaches in men, C. Carani et al; discussion; behavioural and psychophysiological approaches in women, J.R. Heiman; discussion; information processing approach and the sexual response in human studies, W. Everaerd; discussion; physiological considerations and erectile function, G. Wagner; discussion. Part 3 Experimental pharmacological studies in primates and humans: monoamine influences on male sexual behaviour of nonhuman primates, S.M. Pomerantz; discussion; effects of alpha2 antagonists on male erectile response, J. Bancroft; discussion; dopamine agonsts and their effect on the human penile erectile response, R.T. Segraves; discussion; serotonergic drugs and masculine sexual behaviour in laboratory rats and men, S.M. Haensel et al; discussion; the pharmacology of penile smooth muscle, K.-E. Andersson and F. Holmquist; discussion; pharmacological effects on Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT), R.C. Rosen; discussion; effects of psychological factors on erectile response to intracavernosal prostaglandin El, ARM Granata et al. Part 4 Clinical (treatment) studies: alpha adrenoceptors and human sexual function, A.J. Riley; discussion; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and sexual function, K. Demyttenaere and D. Vanderschueren.