New animal models for psychogenic impotence: an ethological approach to copulatory disorder induced by social stress]

Although various experimental models of mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, have been developed, little attention has been paid to male psychogenic impotence. Since sociopsychological factors are presumed to play an important role in many cases of human impotence, an animal model of psychogenic impotence is needed to satisfy such validity. From an ethological viewpoint, we have recently developed new animal models for psychogenic impotence using sociopsychological manipulations, that is, social deprivation and social conflict. This review focused only on the methodology and the actions of drugs on such copulatory disorder induced by social stress. Possible brain mechanisms underlying stress-induced copulatory disorder were also considered.