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Current Sexual Health Reports
Published in: Current Sexual Health Reports 4/2018

01-12-2018 | Preclinical and Psychophysiology (F Guaracci and L Marson, Section Editors)

Vocal Signals of Sexual Motivation in Male and Female Rodents

Author: Marcela Fernández-Vargas

Published in: Current Sexual Health Reports | Issue 4/2018

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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Rodents produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) under different social contexts, including courtship and reproduction. The present review aims to summarize the behavioral, bioacoustical, and physiological evidence that USV are reliable signals of sexual motivation in both male and female rodents.

Recent Findings

USV are actively produced by both sexes during sexual interactions, contrary to earlier assumptions. Male-typical and female-typical vocal behaviors can be identified. Calling rates and acoustic parameters, such as call duration, frequency, and energy, can be modulated rapidly over time by motivational state and sexual context. USV produced in response to sexual context could be regulated by the brain on a moment-to-moment basis through non-classical mechanisms of steroid action. Finally, I provide some practical considerations for the acoustic and statistical analyses of these vocal signals.

Summary

USV can be used as signals of sexual motivation in both sexes to study brain and hormonal mechanisms underlying sexual behavior or sexual differentiation.
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Metadata
Title
Vocal Signals of Sexual Motivation in Male and Female Rodents
Author
Marcela Fernández-Vargas
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Sexual Health Reports / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 1548-3584
Electronic ISSN: 1548-3592
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-018-0179-9

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