Sexual Response Physiology · Clinical Exercise

Where the Signal Breaks

One pathway, from erotic cognition to orgasm and back to baseline. Six clinical situations, and the task is to click the step at which each one acts.

What this exercise practises

Locating a medication effect, an anxiety effect, a hormonal change or a neurological lesion at a specific point in the chain of events that produces arousal and orgasm, and converting that into something you can say to a client.

Calibrated for counselling practice. No receptor subtypes, no dosing. Where in a sequence a thing happens, which is what psychoeducation and interdisciplinary collaboration both require.

Estimated time to complete this exercise: 25 minutes

1The pathway
2Six interruptions
3Two divisions
4Saying it
5Close

Before you begin

How this one works

Part 1 is the pathway itself, with every step named. Read it once before you start, because the rest of the exercise is about locating things on it.
In Part 2 you are given six clinical situations and you click the step in the diagram where that factor acts. You get the answer either way.
The depth is set for counselling practice. You will not be asked about receptor subtypes or dosing. You will be asked where in a chain of events a thing happens.
Nothing is graded and nothing is recorded. Reloading starts it again.

Almost every medication effect, every anxiety effect and every vascular or neurological contributor in this module acts at one identifiable point in this chain. Knowing which point is most of the clinical value.

References

  1. Dean, R. C., & Lue, T. F. (2005). Physiology of penile erection and pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction. Urologic Clinics of North America, 32(4), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ucl.2005.08.007
  2. Georgiadis, J. R., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2012). The human sexual response cycle: Brain imaging evidence linking sex to other pleasures. Progress in Neurobiology, 98(1), 49–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.004
  3. Giuliano, F. (2011). Neurophysiology of erection and ejaculation. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8(Suppl. 4), 310–315. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02450.x