Barry Komisaruk
Distinguished Professor
Research Initiatives
We are identifying the brain regions that respond to genital stimulation to generate orgasm in women and men, and the neural pathways by which genital stimulation gains access to the brain via the spinal cord and vagus nerves. We study the neural basis and therapies for genital-related pathologies including persistent genital arousal disorder, orgasmic pain. We study sexual response after spinal cord injury and also the neural basis of genital stimulation-induced pain blockage. While most of our research involves functional MRI of the brain in humans, we also perform parallel pharmacological and hormonal studies in laboratory rats.
Publications
Komisaruk, B.R., Beyer-Flores, C., and Whipple, B. (2006) The Science of Orgasm. In press. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 358 pages.
Komisaruk, B.R., Whipple, B., Nasserzadeh, S., and Beyer-Flores, C. (2010) The Orgasm Answer Guide. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Komisaruk, B.R. & Del Cerro, M.C.R. (2014). The Neurology of Sex. In Whelehan, P., & Bolin, A., Eds., The Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality. Wiley-Blackwell, In press.
Komisaruk, B.R. & Whipple, B. (2012). Non-genital orgasms. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, DOI:10.1080/14681994.2011.649252; 2012, iFirst article, 1-17.
Komisaruk, B.R. & Lee, H-J. (2012). Prevalence of sacral spinal (Tarlov) cysts in Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder. J. Sexual Medicine, 9: 2047-2056.