A recent study has revealed that a particular sexual activity, common among millions globally, might negatively influence brain function, especially affecting reaction time.
Pornhub’s annual Year in Review provides insights into the online searches people undertake for sexual content. However, this could change if the proposed IODA bill becomes law.
When casual viewing turns into an addiction, it can lead to numerous problems for individuals, including financial and personal difficulties.
Addiction Help reports that 69 percent of men and 40 percent of women in the United States engage in viewing online pornography annually.
The effects of excessive porn consumption on the brain have been the subject of much research.
In an effort to explore this further, a study from Chengdu Medical College in China, published in the National Library of Medicine, examines the impact on cognitive behavior.
The study involved 16 healthy college students who occasionally watched adult videos and five students identified with ‘severe internet pornography addiction’. Participants were asked to view a pornographic film and were then divided into two groups.
Utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which measures hemoglobin changes in the brain responsible for transporting oxygen, the researchers observed participants over a ten-minute session. They also monitored facial expressions and physiological signs during the study.
Following the viewing, both groups took the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT), a neuropsychological test assessing cognitive reaction.
The findings indicated that frequent porn consumers had ‘longer reaction times and significantly reduced accuracy’ in comparison to the less frequent viewers.
The study elaborates: “Compared with the group that frequently viewed pornographic videos, the group with low-frequency pornography viewing exhibited enhanced functional connectivity in the inferior prefrontal cortex and pars triangularis of Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, the primary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe, and the pre-motor and supplementary motor cortices.”
Additionally, the higher-frequency group showed ‘hyperactive parasympathetic activity, more pronounced sexual arousal, and stronger functional connectivity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar area’.
Before watching the video, there was no apparent difference in response accuracy between the groups. However, post-viewing, the higher-frequency group showed ‘significantly shorter’ response accuracy.
This effect on the brain might lead porn users to ‘eventually feel the need to seek more extreme content’, as stated by therapist Danielle Sukenik.
“This pursuit, in attempts to override the chemistry of the changing brain, may lend to disruption in the person’s life, often within relationships,” she explained.