Harvard Medical School researchers found specific frequencies activated nerve cells in the penis and clitoris. Consequently, this discovery might help develop a cure for erectile dysfunction.
They discovered these cells called Krause corpuscles respond to vibrations. Specifically, it caused erections and contractions in male and female mice, even if they had severed spinal cords.
READ: Chinese scientists develop one-shot asthma cure
The HMS research team hopes their discovery can lead to erectile dysfunction and vaginal pain treatments.
Erectile dysfunction research
David Ginty, a sensory neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School, and his team used AI to identify the frequency that can stimulate Krause corpuscles.
Scientific publication Nature says these are “nerve endings in tightly wrapped balls located under the skin.” People identified them as a part of human genitals 150 years ago.
However, there is little research on these body parts because some consider them taboo. “It’s been hard to get people to work on this because some people have a hard time talking about it,” Ginty explained.
The lead researcher and his team went on with their study by testing genetically engineered mice. Their corpuscle neurons fire when exposed to a flash of light.
Firing these neurons triggered erections in males and contractions in females. Also, they are linked to a specific area of the spinal cord.
Surprisingly, they functioned even when the researchers cut the spinal cord’s link to the brain. That means Krause corpuscles trigger automatic responses that occur even without brain input.
Later, Ginty and his team used mechanical pressure and electrical stimulation to elicit the same reactions. They discovered that the corpuscles activate in response to low-frequency vibrations from 40 to 80 hertz.
The Harvard Medical School researcher pointed out to Interesting Engineering that various sex toys use those frequencies.
“Humans, it seems, realized that this was the best way to stimulate Krause corpuscles before any official experiments were published,” Ginty stated.
Alexander Chesler, a sensory biologist at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, told Nature Ginty’s work complements his study last year.
He hopes that further research may guide the development of effective erectile dysfunction and vaginal pain treatments.