Brain During Sex the Events

¶ … Brain During Sex The events that occur during sex and subsequent orgasm are strongly tied to the brain more than the organs themselves. In sexual encounters individuals are consumed with the interaction of sex organs to produce pleasurable sensations and eventual climax. However, the production of pleasure is not limited to what occurs at nerve endings in the organs. It includes the release of strong chemicals and the interaction of electrical impulses. Sex is more chemical and electrical than most people will imagine.

The limbic system regulates all the bodies' functions. Its dedicated purpose is the maintain life and encourage reproduction of creatures. This is accomplished through a simple pleasure pain, response system. Pain is avoided and pleasure rewarded. This is the foundation of the sexual experience. The sexual experience is divided into excitement, plateau, orgasmic and resolution phases (EPOR). In the excitement phase, the stimuli received by the individual creates arousal and increases sexual responsiveness.

In plateau phase, arousal becomes very intense and continued stimulation will cause the individual to proceed toward the next phase orgasm. If however the stimulation is lessened or inadequate orgasm does not occur. During the orgasmic phase, there is a climax of the process, seconds of excitement meld into expanding circles of pleasure. The final phase is the resolution phase where the body essentially returns to normal. Hormone levels fall off and in males they may be unable to regain an erection for some time.

In the first phase of sexual response, the excitement phase, dopamine is released in large quantities. Dopamine activates the reward circuits in the brain (Robinson & Wilson 2005). The reward circuits are the focal point of the limbic system and impel most of our behaviors, when the individual engages in pleasuring the levels of dopamine increase in the body. Dopamine in turn stimulates the reward circuits in the limbic system and the action is recognized as pleasurable.

Further stimulation releases additional dopamine, which heightens the sensations and creates the desire to repeat the behavior. The individual is moved from the excitement phase into the plateau phase. In the plateau phase in the male there is also a release of a cocktails of neurological chemicals. Dopamine is pivotal to the process but there is also nitric oxide, oxytocin, adrenocorticotrophin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone add to the process by affecting penile muscle tone and facilitating the action of dopamine within the body (Coad, Dunstan & Mc Candlish 2010 p. 120).

Together these chemicals control and boost the sexual experience. It should be noted, that while dopamine dominates the desires of wanting to have sex it is another group of chemicals that govern enjoyment. Opioids are the brains equivalent of morphine and endorphins. Dopamine may propel the behavior but the opioids are necessary for experiencing orgasm. During orgasm, opioids boost the reward circuit to add to the effect of dopamine. In the orgasmic phase, the body releases a shot of dopamine.

However, after orgasm dopamine, levels fall precipitously and individuals lose interest in sexual encounters of a time. As levels of dopamine fall, prolactin and oxytocin levels increase. Oxytocin levels increase for a short period after orgasm and produces the bonding effect (Allchin, 2011). Prolactin functions as a dopamine suppressor. It halts the action of dopamine and brings the body back to a normal level. This marks the beginning of the resolution phase. Additionally during the resolution phase, enkephalins levels become elevated in the brain and hypothalamus.

These opioids are demonstrated to prevent the action of oxytocin; this limiting of oxytocin action may decrease the feelings of satisfaction. It should be noted that opioids produces different effects in variant sections of the brain. Where they produce pleasure in one section, they may have the reverse effect in another part of the.