Brain control of penile erection

The spinal cord contains a network that controls erection. This network can be activated by information from the periphery and by supraspinal nuclei. Besides anatomical studies that have detailed central pathways putatively i nvolved in the central process of proerectile information, functional appro aches have focused on pharmacological manipulations of specific systems, e. g. central dopaminergic pathways, leading to clinical perspectives in the t reatment of erectile dysfunction. The present review focuses on some aspect s of the recent research in the field.