Neural basis underlying the effects of trait and state anxiety on premature ejaculation revealed by resting-state interhemispheric functional connectivity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Urology

Background:

• Anxiety is a significant factor in premature ejaculation (PE) development and maintenance.
• The central brain mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of anxiety and PE remain unclear.
• This study investigates shared or distinct neural mechanisms between trait and state anxiety in PE patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the distinct or common brain mechanisms associated with trait and state anxiety in individuals with premature ejaculation (PE).
• To differentiate the neural underpinnings of PE related to high trait anxiety versus high state anxiety.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to acquire voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) data from 90 PE patients and 45 healthy controls (HCs).
• PE patients were categorized into low trait anxiety (LTA) and high trait anxiety (HTA) groups, and low state anxiety (LSA) and high state anxiety (HSA) groups.
• VMHC was compared across groups, and associations with PE and anxiety severity scores (PEDT, STAI-T, STAI-S) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High trait anxiety (HTA) PE patients showed decreased VMHC in the default mode network (DMN) and attention network (AN) compared to low trait anxiety (LTA) patients.
• High state anxiety (HSA) PE patients exhibited increased VMHC in the DMN compared to low state anxiety (LSA) patients.
• Severity scores for PE and anxiety were negatively associated with VMHC in the DMN and AN in HTA and HSA groups.

Conclusions:

• Decreased interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) in the DMN and AN may characterize trait anxiety-related PE.
• Increased interhemispheric FC in the DMN might be linked to state anxiety-related PE.
• Trait and state anxiety associated with PE appear to be driven by distinct neural mechanisms.