Marica Tina Maccarone

Dr. Marica Tina Maccarone

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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5 July 2024 in Behavioral Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
JPJoana Filipa Dias Pinto
Joana Filipa Dias Pinto
CCCamila Comprido
Camila Comprido
VMVanessa Moreira
Vanessa Moreira
MMMarica Tina Maccarone
Marica Tina Maccarone
CCCarlotta Cogoni
Carlotta Cogoni
Nicoletta CeraNicoletta Cera
Nicoletta Cera
The default mode network (DMN) is a complex network that plays a significant and active role during naturalistic stimulation. Previous studies that have used naturalistic stimuli, such as real-life stories or silent or sonorous films, have found that the information processing involved a complex hierarchical set of brain regions, including the DMN nodes. The DMN is not involved in low-level features and is only associated with high-level content-related incoming information. The human sexual experience involves a complex set of processes related to both external context and inner processes. Since the DMN plays an active role in the integration of naturalistic stimuli and aesthetic perception with beliefs, thoughts, and episodic autobiographical memories, we aimed at quantifying the involvement of the nodes of the DMN during visual sexual stimulation. After a systematic search in the principal electronic databases, we selected 83 fMRI studies, and an ALE meta-analysis was calculated. We performed conjunction analyses to assess differences in the DMN related to stimulus modalities, sex differences, and sexual orientation. The results show that sexual stimulation alters the topography of the DMN and highlights the DMN’s active role in the integration of sexual stimuli with sexual schemas and beliefs.