Clinical trial NCT01700361: Visual Erotica, EMG, and Sexual Psychophysiological Arousal (VESPA)
Official title: Visual Erotica, EMG, and Sexual Psychophysiological Arousal (VESPA)
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Sexual Arousal
Keywords: sexual arousal
pelvic floor sEMG
Lead sponsor: University of British Columbia
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-10-04
Enrollment: 15
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 19
Maximum age (years): 45
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Healthy females.

Brief summary: 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: HYPOTHESES:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Investigators hypothesize that continuously measured subjective sexual arousal (via the arousometer) will correlate significantly with PFM EMG activity during the erotic film.

Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: Pelvic floor muscle sEMG activity
timeFrame: This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Sexual Arousal
timeFrame: This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration
measure: Sexual Function
timeFrame: This study involves 1 testing session approximately 20 minutes in duration
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Vancouver
country: Canada
facility: Department of Gynaecology
state: British Columbia
Study officials:
affiliation: University of British Columbia
name: Lori A. Brotto, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: