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

Sexual Arousal Clinical Trial

— VESPA  

Official title:

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

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01700361
• Other study ID #: H12-01852
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: August 27, 2012
• Last updated: May 30, 2017
• Start date: October 2012
• Est. completion date: February 2013

Study information

• Verified date: May 2017
• Source: University of British Columbia
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial 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.

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 15
• Est. completion date: February 2013
• Est. primary completion date: February 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 19 Years to 45 Years

Eligibility

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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Sexual Arousal

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	Department of Gynaecology	Vancouver	British Columbia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of British Columbia

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	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	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
Secondary	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