Exposure to bright light can lead to greater
sexual satisfaction in men who have low
sexual desire, a new study suggests.
Scientists from the University of Siena in Italy
found that using a light box, similar to those
used to treat some forms of depression,
increased testosterone levels.
And this led to greater reported levels of
sexual satisfaction.
But they said more research was needed
before it could be used as a treatment.
The researchers carried out their study on 38
men who had been diagnosed with disorders
which cause a lack of interest in sex.
Bright light
One half of the group was treated with a light
box, while the other half was treated with an
adapted light box which gave out significantly
less light.
They were treated for half an hour early in the
morning for two weeks.
When they retested the participants, they
found that the group exposed to the bright
light tripled their sexual satisfaction scores
while the control group's scores stayed
roughly the same.
The researchers also found that testosterone
levels increased in men who had been given
the active light treatment from around 2.1 ng/
ml to 3.6 ng/ml - but the control group
showed no increase.
Prof Andrea Fagiolini, who led the study, said
the increased levels of testosterone explained
the greater reported sexual satisfaction.
What is light box treatment?
Light therapy is where a special lamp called a
light box is used to simulate exposure to
sunlight.
A light box contains very bright fluorescent
tubes - usually at least 10 times the intensity
of household lights.
They are commonly used to treat Seasonal
Affective Disorder.
A patient looks into the light box and when
light hits the back of the eye, messages are
passed to the part of the brain that controls
sleep, appetite, sex drive, temperature, mood
and activity.
Some people seem to need a lot more light
than others for their body to function
normally.
Mimics nature
And he went on to explain how the light box
treatment works.
He said: "In the northern hemisphere, the
body's testosterone production naturally
declines from November through until April
and then rises steadily through the spring and
summer with a peak in October.
"You see the effect of this in reproductive
rates, with the month of June showing the
highest rate of conception.
The use of the
light box really mimics what nature does."
Prof Fagiolini said he thought the light
therapy inhibited the pineal gland in the
centre of the brain, which allowed more
testosterone to be produced.
Future hope
There are several possible reasons for lack of
sexual desire and treatment depends on the
underlying cause.
It can be treated with testosterone injections,
antidepressants, and other medications.
The researchers believe that light therapy in
the future may offer the benefits of
medication, but with fewer side effects.
But he said they were not yet at the stage
where they could recommend it as a clinical
treatment.
The paper will be presented at the European
College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)
Congress in Vienna.
Source:- bbc / thinkstock
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