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By Hugo Francisco de Souza May 16 2024 Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers investigated the neurofunctional determinants of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HDSS) in women and men. Colloquially termed ‘distressing low sexual desire,’ the condition has been hitherto studied in women but never before explored in men. In the present study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) in tandem with psychometric questionnaires to evaluate male and female neurofunctional responses to sexual versus non-sexual video presentations.

This study found that women with distressingly low sexual desire follow the ‘top-down’ theory of HDSS wherein hyperactivity in higher-level cognitive brain regions suppresses lower-level sexual brain areas. In contrast, men were not observed to subscribe to this neurofunctional pattern, highlighting sexual dimorphism in the way male and female brains process sexual stimuli. While unable to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underpinning HDSS in men, this study highlights the need for additional male HDSS research and suggests that clinically low sexual desire interventions used in women may not produce the desired outcomes in their male counterparts.

Women with HSDD have greater limbic activation to sexual videos than men. (A) The female and (B) male HSDD group average results showing the brains activation (red/yellow) and deactivation (blue green) to sexual compared to control (exercise) videos. (C) Brain regions more activated in women (relative to men) to sexual compared to control videos are shown in purple. Brain regions more activated in men (relative to women) to sexual compared to control videos are shown in green. Results are cluster corrected and thresholded to Z = 2.3, P < 0.05, N = 64 (32 women, 32 men). Study: Women with HSDD have greater limbic activation to sexual videos than men. (A) The female and (B) male HSDD group average results showing the brains activation (red/yellow) and deactivation (blue green) to sexual compared to control (exercise) videos. (C) Brain regions more activated in women (relative to men) to sexual compared to control videos are shown in purple. Brain regions more activated in men (relative to women) to sexual compared to control videos are shown in green. Results are cluster corrected and thresholded to Z = 2.3, P < 0.05, N = 64 (32 women, 32 men). Study:  Women and men with distressing low sexual desire exhibit sexually dimorphic brain processing What is HDSS, and what do we know about the condition?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Revised (DSM-IV-TR) defines Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) as “persistent sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity that cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.” Colloquially termed ‘distressingly low sexual desire,’ ‘hyposexuality,’ or ‘inhibited sexual desire,’ HDSS is a sexual dysfunction whose symptoms include a significant lack of sexual fantasies and arousal even in sexually active men and women. Given the substantial social and interpersonal angst caused by HDSS, the condition is often found co-associated with depression and similar emotional disorders.

First identified in 1980 (DSM-III) and formally defined in 1987 (DSM-III-R), HDSS is a clinically distinct disorder from conditions such as asexuality and erectile dysfunction, with its causes hypothesized to include a history of sexual abuse, altered sex hormone levels, or other diseases such as cancers, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Despite its relatively recent description, HDSS is one of the most prevalent sexual disorders in the world today, estimated to affect 10% of all women and 8% of all men. Alarmingly, given the social stigmata associated with the condition, these numbers are assumed to be severe underestimations, highlighting the need for interventions against the quality of life (QoL) impacts of the neurofunctional disease.

Unfortunately, despite limited research on HDSS having hitherto been conducted, available scientific literature on the topic is almost exclusively directed towards women, with only one previous study on men, albeit using debatable methodologies. This disparity in research is reflected in treatment options, with two medically licensed interventions available for American women but none for American men. Notably, a vast majority of male HDSS incidents are misdiagnosed as erectile dysfunction, exacerbating the distress and mental health impacts of the condition. About the study

In the present study, researchers aim to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in tandem with multiple psychometric questionnaires to evaluate the neurofunctional responses of men and women with HDSS to sexual versus non-sexual stimuli (herein, video presentations – visual sexual stimuli). The study cohort was comprised of men and women with clinically confirmed HDSS (ICD-11) recruited through adverts across London (print and online media). Participant screening consisted of a telephone conversation followed by an in-person medical evaluation (blood and questionnaire-based) to distinguish between acquired and generalized HDSS. To avoid confounds from preexisting clinical conditions, individuals with a history of psychiatric illness or those on current medication were excluded from the study.

“…participants were required to be in a stable, communicative, and monogamous relationship for > 6 months. Participants were excluded if they had a history of unresolved sexual trauma, abuse or aggression, use of medications (prescribed or over the counter) or herbal preparations to enhance sexual desire, arousal or performance, or had contraindication to MRI scanning.” Related StoriesThe power of mixed selectivity: Insights into brain function and cognitionBrain-computer interface translates ALS patient's brain activity into spoken wordsModified sugar molecules boost stem cell therapy for brain repair after cardiac arrest

The experimental intervention involved the presentation of 20-second-long silent sexual videos (cases) alternating with neutral non-sexual exercise videos (controls) over a 12-minute standard validated (using the Likert scale) block design. Participants were required to complete a Sexual Desire and Arousal Inventory (SADI) questionnaire immediately before and after the experimental intervention, wherein 54 descriptors across ‘evaluative,’ ‘negative,’ ‘physiological,’ and ‘motivational’ domains were measured. During the experimental intervention, participants were subjected to a simultaneous fMRI and pulse-oximeter evaluation.

Data processing involved the correlations between questionnaire results and fMRI excitation images, overlaps between male and female activation patterns (via Dice Coefficients) across sexual versus non-sexual visual stimuli, and analysis of brain Regions of Interest (ROIs), especially those corresponding to the neural sex network (amygdala, hypothalamus, insula, pre-central gyrus, striatum, and thalamus). Study findings and conclusions

Following the screening process, the study sample group comprised 32 men and 32 women with clinically confirmed HDSS. While the men were, on average, nine years older than their female counterparts, Dice Coefficient results suggest that age did not bias study findings. Additionally, 20 ‘healthy’ men and women were recruited to validate the differences between the sexual and non-sexual stimuli and to establish baselines for neural activation stimuli response patterns.

“The findings are somewhat consistent with previous research in individuals with normal sexual desire, suggesting that women and men exhibit similar general overall patterns of activation to visual sexual stimuli. However, notable differences were observed in the activation of limbic brain regions in women and men with HSDD, particularly the hypothalamus, amygdala, and thalamus, which are key structures associated with emotional processing and sexual motivation.”

The present study highlights that the neural sex network in women with HDSS shows activation during the presentation of sexual stimuli; however, these ‘low-level’ neurofunctional centers (limbic regions) are masked by the simultaneous activation of higher-level cortical regions, supporting the “top-down” inhibition hypothesis proposed by Cacioppo. In contrast, men with HDSS failed to display activation of the neural sex network, suggesting that visual sexual cues are not effectively relayed to sexual response-associated emotional centers. This study is the first scientific work to elucidate the sexual dimorphism between male and female neurofunctional HDSS. It highlights the need for additional research, especially in men, before effective therapeutic interventions against the condition can be formulated. Journal reference: Ertl, N., Mills, E.G., Wall, M.B. et al. Women and men with distressing low sexual desire exhibit sexually dimorphic brain processing. Sci Rep 14, 11051 (2024), DOI – 10.1038/s41598-024-61190-4,  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-61190-4

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Police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s biggest-ever show on Copacabana beach

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Police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's biggest-ever show on Copacabana beach

Brazilian police say they foiled a bomb attack planned for a Lady Gaga concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach that attracted an estimated 2.1 million people.

The plot was orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalisation of teenagers, including self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging, according to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, which worked in coordination with the country’s justice ministry.

“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the force said.

The justice ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as Gaga’s fans, known as “Little Monsters”.

It said Operation Fake Monster was based on a report by the ministry’s cyber operations lab following a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behaviour among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.

Authorities carried out over a dozen search and seizure warrants, and a man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, and a teenager was detained in Rio de Janeiro for storing child abuse images.

Lady Gaga performing at the huge open-air concert. Pic: Reuters
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Lady Gaga performing at the huge open-air concert. Pic: Reuters

Gaga’s biggest ever show

Some 500,000 tourists travelled to watch the concert, which was paid for by the city in an attempt to boost the struggling economy.

Saturday night’s two-hour show, which marked Gaga’s biggest ever, marked the first time she had played in Brazil since 2012, having cancelled an appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in 2017 over health issues.

Gaga, who released her seventh studio album, Mayhem, in March, opened with a dramatic, operatic edition of her 2011 track Bloody Mary, before launching into Abracadabra, a recent track.

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
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Pic: AP

Lady Gaga, centre, performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
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Pic: AP

“Brazil! I missed you. I missed you so much,” she exclaimed, before launching into Poker Face, one of her biggest hits.

The American pop star drew in a similar crowd to Madonna’s in May last year, who performed at the same beach, which is transformed into an enormous dance floor for the shows.

Addressing the crowd in English and through a Portuguese translator, Gaga became emotional as she said: “I’m so honoured to be here with you tonight.

People attend Lady Gaga's open concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Tita Barros
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Gaga addresses the crowd. Pic: Reuters

Gaga seen performing on giant screens set up across the beach. Pic: Reuters
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Gaga seen performing on giant screens set up across the beach. Pic: Reuters

“Tonight we’re making history, but no one makes history alone. Without all of you, the incredible people of Brazil, I wouldn’t have this moment. Thank you for making history with me.

“The people of Brazil are the reason I get to shine today. But of all the things I can thank you for, the one I most am grateful for is this: that you waited for me. You waited more than 10 years for me.”

She said it took so long to come back because she was “healing” and “getting stronger”. The pop sensation cancelled many of her shows in 2017 and 2018 due to her fibromyalgia condition, which can cause pain and fatigue.

It is estimated Gaga’s show will have injected around 600 million reais (£79.9m) into the economy, nearly 30% more than Madonna’s show.

People gather to attend Lady Gaga's open concert, in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil May 3, 2025. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
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Pic: Reuters

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The large-scale free shows are set to continue annually until at least 2028, always taking place in May, which is considered the economy’s “low season”, according to the city’s government.

A hefty security plan was in place, including the presence of 3,300 military and 1,500 police officers, along with 400 military firefighters.

‘A dream come true’

Fans find a spot to watch the show. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The city has been swarmed with Gaga fans since her arrival on Tuesday, with some even keeping vigil outside of the hotel she has been staying at.

Many arrived at the beach at the crack of dawn on Saturday to secure good spots on the beach, despite the show not starting until 9.45pm.

An aerial view shows fans gathering on Copacabana beach ahead of Lady Gaga's arrival. Pic: Reuters
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An aerial view shows fans gathering on Copacabana beach ahead of Lady Gaga’s arrival. Pic: Reuters

Ana Lara Folador, who attended with her sister, said it was “a dream come true”, and that Gaga had “really shaped a part of my personality, as a person and an artist”.

Ingrid Serrano, a 30-year-old engineer who made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show, turned up in a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years.

“I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” she said, adding the 39-year-old megastar represented “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame”.

A fan dons an unusual face mask. Pic: AP
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A fan dons an unusual face mask. Pic: AP

A fan strikes a pose. Pic: AP
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A fan strikes a pose. Pic: AP

Matheus Silvestroni, 25, an aspiring DJ and a Gaga fan since the age of 12, endured an eight-hour bus ride from Sao Paulo for the show.

He said it was Gaga who had inspired him to embrace his sexuality and pursue his dream of becoming an artist.

“I was bullied because I was a fat, gay kid, so I was an easy target,” he said. “Gaga was very important because she sent a message that everything was okay with me, I wasn’t a freak, because I was ‘Born This Way’.”

Rio is known for holding massive open-air concerts, with Rod Stewart holding a Guinness World Record for the four million-strong crowd he drew to Copacabana beach in 1994.

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John Lithgow on JK Rowling’s trans stance backlash: ‘She’s handled it fairly gracefully’

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John Lithgow on JK Rowling's trans stance backlash: 'She's handled it fairly gracefully'

John Lithgow is a man well aware of cancel culture and its ability to destroy careers in the blink of an eye.

The Oscar-nominated actor tells Sky News: “It is terrible to be so careful about what you say. Even in an interview like this. It goes into the world, and you can get misconstrued and misrepresented and cancelled in [the click of a finger].”

Pic: Johan Persson
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Roald Dahl is the subject of West End play Giant, by Mark Rosenblatt. Pic: Johan Persson

It’s a theme that runs parallel with his latest work – the stage show Giant – which through the lens of one explosive day in children’s author Roald Dahl‘s life, poses the question, should we look for moral purity in our artists?

The writer of great works including The Witches, Matilda and The BFG, Dahl revolutionised children’s literature with his irreverent approach, inspiring generations of readers and selling hundreds of millions worldwide. But his legacy is conflicted.

Lithgow describes Dahl as “a man with great charm, great wit and literary talent. A man who really cared about children and loved them. But a man who carried a lot of demons.”

Specifically, the play – which explores Palestinian rights versus antisemitism – deals with the fallout from controversial comments the children’s author made over the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Its themes couldn’t be more timely.

Lithgow explains: “Things are said in the play that nobody dares to say out loud… But God knows this is a complicated and contradictory issue.”

More on Jk Rowling

Pic: Johan Persson
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John Lithgow plays Dahl – a man capable of ‘great compassion’ and ‘enormous cruelty’. Pic: Johan Persson

‘It didn’t start as an idea about Roald Dahl at all’

So controversial are some of the play’s themes, the 79-year-old star admits his own son warned him: “Prepare yourself. There’ll be demonstrations in Sloane Square outside the Royal Court Theatre.”

Indeed, the play’s first run carried an audience warning flagging “antisemitic language; graphic descriptions of violence; emotional discussion of themes including conflict in the Middle East, Israel and Palestine; and strong language”.

But it didn’t put audiences off. Following a sold-out run at the Royal Court, the role won Lithgow an Olivier. Now, it’s transferring to London’s West End.

The play was written by Mark Rosenblatt, a seasoned theatre director but debut playwright.

He tells Sky News: “It didn’t start as an idea about Roald Dahl at all. It was about the blurring of meaningful political discourse with racism, specifically when, in 2018, the inquiry into antisemitism in the Labour Party started to come out.”

Rosenblatt describes Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts as the “wallpaper” of his childhood, and says he had no desire to “smash the Roald Dahl pinata”.

But despite the fond recollections, he was conflicted: “Understanding that [Dahl] also, possibly, didn’t like someone like me because I’m Jewish felt complicated.” It was Rosenblatt’s exploration of “how you hold those two things at the same time” that led to Dahl becoming the play’s focus.

Elliot Levey plays Dahl's Jewish publisher, and Aya Cash plays an American Jewish sales executive. Pic: Johan Persson
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Elliot Levey plays Dahl’s Jewish publisher, and Aya Cash plays an American Jewish sales executive. Pic: Johan Persson

‘He’s not cancelled in our home’

Rosenblatt describes him as “a complex man, capable of great compassion, great passionate defence of oppressed people, and also capable of enormous cruelty and manipulation. He was many things at once”.

And as for Dahl’s place in his life now? Rosenblatt says: “I still read his books to my kids. He’s certainly not cancelled in our home.”

It’s likely that Dahl’s comments, if uttered today, would lead to swift social media condemnation, but writing in a pre-social media age, the judgment over his words came at a much slower pace.

Dahl died in 1990, and his family later apologised for antisemitic remarks he made during his lifetime. But the debate of whether art can be separated from the artist is still very much alive today.

Earlier this month, Lithgow found himself drawn into a different row over artists and their opinions – this time concerning author JK Rowling.

Author and Lumos Foundation founder J.K. Rowling attends the HBO Documentary Films premiere of ...Finding the Way Home" at 30 Hudson Yards on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
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JK Rowling in 2019. Pic:AP

‘A matter of nuance’

Soon to play Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series, he has been criticised by some fans for working with the author known for her gender critical beliefs.

Lithgow told Sky News: “It’s a question I’m getting asked constantly. I suppose I should get used to that, but JK Rowling has created an amazing canon of books for kids…

“I have my own feelings on this subject. But I’m certainly not going to hesitate to speak about it. Just because I may disagree… It’s a matter of nuance… I think she’s handled it fairly gracefully.”

The actor ignored calls not to take the role.

He goes on: “Honestly, I’d rather be involved in this than not. And if I’m going to speak on this subject, I’m speaking from inside this project and very much a partner with JK Rowling on it.”

Demanding an eight-year commitment and a move to the UK for the part, the stakes are high.

And with a legion of Harry Potter fans watching on from the wings, only time will tell if the Lithgow-Rowling partnership will prove a magical one.

Giant is playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London until Saturday, 2 August.

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Lorraine Kelly says she will undergo surgery to remove ovaries

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Lorraine Kelly says she will undergo surgery to remove ovaries

Lorraine Kelly has revealed she is undergoing surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The 65-year-old TV presenter posted a video of her in a hospital bed on Instagram, and said “I’ve not been feeling all that well for a little while”.

Kelly added she “had a little scan and I have to have my ovaries and my tubes taken out” with keyhole surgery.

She said that the procedure is “purely preventative,” and that “I’m going to be totally fine, see you soon”.

According to the NHS, keyhole surgery – also called laparoscopic surgery – is carried out using several small incisions.

The procedure can take between one and two hours, and doctors recommend staying off work for two to four weeks after the surgery.

In the caption, the ITV presenter wrote she felt “very lucky to be treated so well” and thanked gynaecologist Dr Ahmed Raafat and hospital staff.

More on Lorraine Kelly

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid said she was “sending you all the love in the world”, while TV presenter Julia Bradbury added: “Wishing you a speedy recovery Lorraine, and good luck with the post op rehab.”

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Kelly has been in television since 1984, starting her career on TV-am as an on-screen reporter covering Scottish news.

In 1990, she began her presenting career on Good Morning Britain, before hosting her own show, Lorraine, from 2010.

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