Abstract
Although sex drive is present in many animal species, sexual behavior is not static and, like many other behaviors, can be modified by experience. This modification relies on synaptic plasticity, a sophisticated mechanism through which neurons change how they process a given stimulus, and the neurophysiological basis of learning. This review addresses the main plastic effects of steroid sex hormones in the central nervous system (CNS) and the effects of sexual experience on the CNS, including effects on neurogenesis, intracellular signaling, gene expression, and changes in dendritic spines, as well as behavioral changes.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Sergio Broseta for figure design. LNJ was supported by the Programa de Fortalecimiento de la Calidad en Instituciones Educativas [P/PFCE-2016-23MSU0140Z-08].
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Herrera-Morales, W.V., Herrera-Solís, A. & Núñez-Jaramillo, L. Sexual Behavior and Synaptic Plasticity. Arch Sex Behav 48, 2617–2631 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01483-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01483-2