Visual Erotica, EMG, and Sexual Psychophysiological Arousal (VESPA)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study will examine whether measurement of pelvic floor muscle sEMG activity is responsive to explicit sexual stimuli, and whether it correlates with self-reports of sexual arousal in healthy women. Participants' vaginal, labial and anal sEMG readings will be monitored during exposure to neutral, erotic and anxiety-provoking films. Participants will also be required to provide subjective ratings of sexual arousal before and after each film. If pelvic floor sEMG is validated as a psychophysiological measure, these findings may have important clinical and research implications by providing a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in sexual arousal and for providing a relatively easy method of assessing sexual arousal in a clinical or research setting.

Detailed Description
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HYPOTHESES: Investigators hypothesize that, relative to the neutral films, PFM EMG activity will significantly increase in response to the erotic film as measured by the labial, anal, and vaginal EMG probes. Investigators hypothesize that, relative to the anxiety-provoking film, PFM EMG activity will significantly increase in response to the erotic film as measured by the labial, anal, and vaginal EMG probes. Investigators hypothesize that continuously measured subjective sexual arousal (via the arousometer) will correlate significantly with PFM EMG activity during the erotic film.

Official Title
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Visual Erotica, EMG, and Sexual Psychophysiological Arousal (VESPA)

Conditions
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Sexual Arousal

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Must be female, between the ages of 19-45 Must be premenopausal Must be previously sexually active Must be fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: Lack of fluency in English Not female between the ages of 19-45 Not previously sexually active Any previous deliveries, either vaginal or by c-section Any sexual arousal disorder Any genital pain or pelvic pain disorders Any bowel or bladder syndromes (e.g. interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel disease, Chron's disease) Any urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse Undergone medically induced menopause Undergone total or partial hysterectomy Undergone surgery for incontinence or prolapse Using estrogen suppression medication

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 19 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No treatment<br>This is an observational study. Women in this study are not receiving any treatments. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pelvic floor muscle sEMG activity | Changes in pelvic floor muscle activity in responsive to exposure to explicit sexual stimuli will be assessed using pelvic floor surface electromyography (sEMG). | This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sexual Arousal | Self-report sexual arousal will be measured with the Sexual Arousability Inventory (SAI ; Hoon, Hoon, & Wincze, 1976) | This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration | 
| Sexual Function | Self-reported sexual function will be measured using the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000) and the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI; Derogatis & Melisaratos, 1979). | This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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sexual arousal, pelvic floor sEMG