Modulations of human resting brain connectivity by kisspeptin enhance sexual and emotional functions

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Kisspeptin-10 in the context of sexual function & libido (women and men) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

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.

NIHR, MRC, and Wellcome Trust.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are young adults and adults, both men and women.

The researchers 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.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Kisspeptin-10 group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Kisspeptin-10, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Kisspeptin-10, giving a reference point.

Each person switched between Kisspeptin-10 and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Intravenous, Brain, Connectome, Emotions, Healthy Volunteers, Kisspeptins and Mental Disorders.

Author keywords: Endocrinology, Neuroendocrine regulation, Neuroimaging, Reproductive Biology and Sex hormones.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Kisspeptin-10 in people with sexual function & libido (women and men).

Results are reported in around 6 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2018 (JCI insight), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Kisspeptin-10 compound page, Sexual function & libido (women and men) research.