The role of epigenetics in demisexuality: A higher-order adaptive network model

Demisexuality, an orientation where sexual attraction requires a strong emotional bond, presents a compelling area of study that remains neurobiologically under-researched. This thesis confronts this gap by proposing a theoretical framework focused on the role of epigenetics in governing this unique pattern of attraction. To investigate this, a higher-order adaptive network model was developed to simulate how sustained socioemotional connection could modulate neural pathways and genetic expression. The model's simulations successfully capture the characteristic threshold-dependent emergence of sexual attraction. These results demonstrate that, within the model's biologically plausible framework, a sustained emotional bond can create the necessary conditions for epigenetic modifications specifically involving the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) which in turn enable the development of sexual attraction. By establishing this testable model, the investigation generates falsifiable predictions and offers a foundational framework for future empirical studies on the epigenetic underpinnings of sexual diversity.