The Aim of This Research is to Better Understand How Complete Spinal Cord Injury May Change Erogenous Zones in Adult Males

NCT06908850 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: QualiEroSCI
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 15
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in men is characterized by the total loss of motor skills and sensations below the injury. The loss of penile sensation, the erogenous zone primarily involved in sexual response, is involved in sexual dysfunction, impacting sexual pleasure and quality of life. The management of genito-sexual dysfunction is a priority for paraplegic patients, ahead of bladder-sphincter and motor functions. For tetraplegic patients, the restoration of genito-sexual functions is their second priority after the upper limb motor skills recovery (Anderson, 2004)(Anderson et al., 2007). Medical assistance is currently available to i) restore erectile function allowing penetrative sexual intercourse, ii) enable sperm collection for reproductive purposes, iii) assisted reproductive techniques which allowing most often these patients to achieve their fatherhood goals (Giuliano et al., 2019)(Chochina et al., 2016)(Lombardi et al., 2015). Nevertheless, the assessment and management of the loss of genital sensations have been poorly studied, alike sexual pleasure and satisfaction in SCI patients (Philpott et al., 2006). Erogenous zones are regions of the body that elicit sexual pleasure and trigger or enhance sexual arousal when appropriately stimulated. The discovery of other forms of physical intimacy that move away from the traditional scripts of phallo-centric male sexuality (Earle et al., 2020)(Giurleo et al., 2022)(Ostrander, 2009)(Burns et al., 2008) could improve sexual pleasure. The stimulation of hypersensitive regions in the skin areas corresponding to the lesion level and above has the potential to represent one of the strategies to compensate the lack of sensitivity of the genital-sexual organs (Hohmann, 1972)(Bach-y-Rita, 1999)(Elliott, 2002)(Anderson et al., 2007)(Lopez et al., 2008)(Alexander \& Marson, 2018). But again, these data are scares and limited to few testimonials. The aim of the present research program is to identify, define and characterize erogenous zones in men with complete SCI in the absence of sensitivity of the genitals. The study design is a qualitative observational study, and the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) will be followed (Tong et al., 2007). A minimum of fourteen semi-structured interviews with men with a complete SCI followed in a neuro-urology department will be conducted with the recruitment stopped once data saturation is achieved.

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury; Spinal Cord Injury No Sensory/Motor in S4-S5

Keywords

Sexuality; Erogenous zones; Men; Semi-structured interviews

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Caracterization of the erogenous zones

  Semi structured interviews to identifie the phenomenology behind the erogenous zones

  At the time of the interview (Baseline)

• Localization of the erogenous zones

  Body map chart

  At the time of the interview (Baseline)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

heterosexual adult men with a complete spinal cord injury

You may qualify if:

• Men
• Complete spinal cord injury
• Heterosexual
• Sexual activity prior to the injury

You may not qualify if:

• Syringomyelia
• Other neurological condition
• No sexual activity since the injury

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fondation Garches: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hopital Raymond Poincaré

Garches, 92380, France

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Chochina L, Naudet F, Chehensse C, Manunta A, Damphousse M, Bonan I, Giuliano F. Intracavernous Injections in Spinal Cord Injured Men With Erectile Dysfunction, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sex Med Rev. 2016 Jul;4(3):257-269. doi: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.02.005. Epub 2016 Mar 29.

  PMID: 27871959 BACKGROUND

• Bach-y-Rita P, W Kercel S. Sensory substitution and the human-machine interface. Trends Cogn Sci. 2003 Dec;7(12):541-6. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2003.10.013.

  PMID: 14643370 BACKGROUND

• Anderson KD, Borisoff JF, Johnson RD, Stiens SA, Elliott SL. Long-term effects of spinal cord injury on sexual function in men: implications for neuroplasticity. Spinal Cord. 2007 May;45(5):338-48. doi: 10.1038/sj.sc.3101978. Epub 2006 Oct 10.

  PMID: 17016492 BACKGROUND

• Anderson KD. Targeting recovery: priorities of the spinal cord-injured population. J Neurotrauma. 2004 Oct;21(10):1371-83. doi: 10.1089/neu.2004.21.1371.

  PMID: 15672628 BACKGROUND

• Alexander MS, Marson L. The neurologic control of arousal and orgasm with specific attention to spinal cord lesions: Integrating preclinical and clinical sciences. Auton Neurosci. 2018 Jan;209:90-99. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2017.01.005. Epub 2017 Jan 25.

  PMID: 28222972 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries; Sexuality; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries; Sexual Behavior; Behavior; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Endocrine System Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PHD student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 20, 2025
• First Posted: April 3, 2025
• Study Start: March 17, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: March 17, 2026
• Last Updated: April 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Locations

FR (1)