Modulations of human resting brain connectivity by kisspeptin enhance sexual and emotional functions.
Comninos. Alexander N AN; Demetriou. Lysia L; Wall. Matthew B MB; Shah. Amar J AJ; Clarke. Sophie A SA; Narayanaswamy. Shakunthala S; Nesbitt. Alexander A; Izzi-Engbeaya. Chioma C; Prague. Julia K JK; Abbara. Ali A; Ratnasabapathy. Risheka R; Yang. Lisa L; Salem. Victoria V; Nijher. Gurjinder M GM; Jayasena. Channa N CN; Tanner. Mark M; Bassett. Paul P; Mehta. Amrish A; McGonigle. John J; Rabiner. Eugenii A EA; Bloom. Stephen R SR; Dhillo. Waljit S WS
Key Findings
- Kisspeptin altered the default mode network, and this change was linked to increased limbic (emotion‑related) activity when participants saw sexual images.
- Men with lower natural reward drive showed the biggest kisspeptin‑induced brain changes and reported less sexual aversion.
- Kisspeptin boosted connectivity between mood‑related areas (amygdala‑cingulate, hippocampus‑cingulate, hippocampus‑globus pallidus), which predicted stronger responses to negative emotional stimuli.
Practical Outcomes
- The study suggests kisspeptin could be explored as a supplement to improve sexual desire, reduce aversion, and enhance mood, especially for people who feel less naturally reward‑driven. However, the research is early‑stage, uses a single dose in a lab setting, and does not provide dosing guidelines, so biohackers should view it as promising but not yet ready for a concrete protocol.
Summary
A small, well‑controlled study found that giving healthy men kisspeptin changes how brain regions talk to each other at rest, especially in networks linked to sex and emotions. These brain changes were tied to stronger emotional responses to sexual cues, less sexual aversion, and better mood‑related brain connections.
Abstract
Resting brain connectivity is a crucial component of human behavior demonstrated by disruptions in psychosexual and emotional disorders. Kisspeptin, a recently identified critical reproductive hormone, can alter activity in certain brain structures but its effects on resting brain connectivity and networks in humans remain elusive. We determined the effects of kisspeptin on resting brain connectivity (using functional neuroimaging) and behavior (using psychometric analyses) in healthy men, in a randomized double-blinded 2-way placebo-controlled study. Kisspeptin's modulation of the default mode network (DMN) correlated with increased limbic activity in response to sexual stimuli (globus pallidus r = 0.500, P = 0.005; cingulate r = 0.475, P = 0.009). Furthermore, kisspeptin's DMN modulation was greater in men with less reward drive (r = -0.489, P = 0.008) and predicted reduced sexual aversion (r = -0.499, P = 0.006), providing key functional significance. Kisspeptin also enhanced key mood connections including between the amygdala-cingulate, hippocampus-cingulate, and hippocampus-globus pallidus (all P < 0.05). Consistent with this, kisspeptin's enhancement of hippocampus-globus pallidus connectivity predicted increased responses to negative stimuli in limbic structures (including the thalamus and cingulate [all P < 0.01]). Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unknown role for kisspeptin in the modulation of functional brain connectivity and networks, integrating these with reproductive hormones and behaviors. Our findings that kisspeptin modulates resting brain connectivity to enhance sexual and emotional processing and decrease sexual aversion, provide foundation for kisspeptin-based therapies for associated disorders of body and mind. NIHR, MRC, and Wellcome Trust.
Study Information
pubmed
2018
2018-10-18T00:00:00.000Z
10.1172/jci.insight.121958
38
66