Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38573280›Full record

Trial reportNeuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society2024

Short-Term Dorsal Genital Nerve Stimulation Increases Subjective Arousal in Women With and Without Spinal Cord Injury: A Preliminary Investigation.

Elizabeth C Bottorff, Priyanka Gupta, Giulia M Ippolito, Mackenzie B Moore, Gianna M Rodriguez, Tim M Bruns

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. A surgical and functional approach to the pelvic gross neuroanatomy of the female Yucatan minipig.Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft · 2025
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Elizabeth C BottorffBiomedical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Priyanka GuptaDepartment of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Giulia M IppolitoDepartment of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Mackenzie B MooreBiomedical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Gianna M RodriguezDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Tim M BrunsBiomedical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address: bruns@umich.edu.
University of Michigan · US

Funding

Neural Engineering Training Program (NETP)T32NS115724 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI James D Weiland · 2021 to 2026
$1.2M
NINDS NIH HHS T32 NS115724
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesFemale sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects an estimated 40% of women. Unfortunately, FSD is understudied, leading to limited treatment options for FSD. Neuromodulation has shown some success in alleviating FSD symptoms. We developed a pilot study to investigate the short-term effect of electrical stimulation of the dorsal genital nerve and tibial nerve on sexual arousal in healthy women, women with FSD, and women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and FSD. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis study comprises a randomized crossover design in three groups: women with SCI, women with non-neurogenic FSD, and women without FSD or SCI. The primary outcome measure was change in vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) from baseline. Secondary outcome measures were changes in subjective arousal, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure from baseline. Participants attended one or two study sessions where they received either transcutaneous dorsal genital nerve stimulation (DGNS) or tibial nerve stimulation (TNS). At each session, a vaginal photoplethysmography sensor was used to measure VPA. Participants also rated their level of subjective arousal and were asked to report any pelvic sensations.

resultsWe found that subjective arousal increased significantly from before to after stimulation in DGNS study sessions across all women. TNS had no effect on subjective arousal. There were significant differences in VPA between baseline and stimulation, baseline and recovery, and stimulation and recovery periods among participants, but there were no trends across groups or stimulation type. Two participants with complete SCIs experienced genital sensations.

conclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to measure sexual arousal in response to short-term neuromodulation in women. This study indicates that short-term DGNS but not TNS can increase subjective arousal, but the effect of stimulation on genital arousal is inconclusive. This study provides further support for DGNS as a treatment for FSD.

Indexed as

Cross-Over StudiesSpinal Cord InjuriesAdultFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsPudendal NerveSexual ArousalSexual Dysfunction, PhysiologicalTibial NerveTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationYoung AdultDorsal genital nervefemale sexual dysfunctionneuromodulationspinal cord injurytibial nerve

Identifiers

PMID38573280
PMCPMC12906854
OpenAlexW4393944991

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.