Correction: International spinal cord injury male sexual function and female sexual and reproductive function basic data sets-version 2.0.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

International spinal cord injury male sexual function and female sexual and reproductive function basic data sets-version 2.0.

STUDY DESIGN: Data set review and modification. OBJECTIVE: To describe modifications in the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Male Sexual Function Basic Data Set Version 2.0 and the International SCI Female Sexual and Reproductive Function Basic Data Set Version 2.0. SETTING: International expert work group using on line communication. METHODS: An international team of experts was compiled to review and revise the International SCI Male Sexual Function and Female Sexual and Reproductive Function Basic Data Sets Version 1.0. The group adapted Version 1.0 based upon review of published research, suggestions from concerned individuals and on line work group consensus. The revised data sets were then posted on the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) websites for 2 months for review. Subsequently, the data sets were approved by the ISCoS Scientific and Executive Committees and ASIA board of directors. RESULTS: The data sets were modified to a self-report format. They were reviewed for appropriateness for the pediatric age group and adapted to include a new variable to address the issue of sexual orientation. A clarification of the difference between the data sets and the autonomic standards was also developed. CONCLUSION: Sexuality is a continuously evolving topic. Modifications were needed to address this topic in a comprehensive fashion. It is recommended that Version 2.0 of these data sets are used for ongoing documentation of sexual status in the medical record and for documentation of sexual concerns during on-going research.

fMRI Localization of Spinal Cord Processing Underlying Female Sexual Arousal.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the authors aimed to determine the roles of the human spinal cord in mediating sexual responses in women. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the entire lower thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord was performed using a sexual stimulation paradigm designed to elicit psychological and physical components of sexual arousal. Responses were measured in 9 healthy adult women during 3 consecutive conditions: (a) erotic audiovisual, (b) manual clitoral, and (c) audiovisual plus manual stimulation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging results in healthy subjects demonstrate that this method is sensitive for mapping sexual function in the spinal cord, and identify several key regions involved in human sexual response, including the intermediolateral cell column, the dorsal commissural nucleus, and the sacral parasympathetic nucleus. Using spinal functional magnetic resonance imaging, this study identified many of the spinal cord regions involved in female sexual responses. Results from audiovisual and manual clitoral stimulation correspond with previous data regarding lumbar and sacral neurologic changes during sexual arousal. This study provides the first characterization of neural activity in the human spinal cord underlying healthy female sexual responses and sets a foundation for future studies aimed at mapping changes that result from sexual dysfunction, spinal cord trauma or disease.

Neural correlates of sexual arousal in the spinal cords of able-bodied men: a spinal fMRI investigation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether spinal cord functional magnetic resonance imaging could be used to map neural activity throughout the lower thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord regions during sexual arousal in healthy men. The authors found that viewing erotic films and genital self-stimulation elicited predominantly increased signal, indicative of amplified neuronal input to the dorsal and ventral horns and in the autonomic preganglionic nuclei of the lower thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord. In addition, linear regression analyses revealed a number of robust correlations (|R| ≥ 0.7) between signal intensity changes in these spinal cord regions and self-reported ratings of mental and physical sexual arousal. Taken together, these results demonstrate that spinal cord functional magnetic resonance imaging is an effective and sensitive technique for mapping the neural correlates of sexual arousal in the spinal cords of able-bodied men. Most important, the results from this study indicate that spinal cord functional magnetic resonance imaging may have important applications as a clinical tool for assessing and mapping the changes that occur in the spinal cords of men suffering from sexual dysfunction as a result of spinal cord trauma.