Evidence for a curvilinear relationship between sympathetic nervous system activation and women's physiological sexual arousal

• Published in: Psychophysiology Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 111 - 117
• Main Authors: Lorenz, Tierney Ahrold, Harte, Christopher B., Hamilton, Lisa Dawn, Meston, Cindy M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Electrocardiography; Female; Female sexual arousal; Heart Rate - physiology; Heart rate variability; Humans; Nervous system; Neuropsychology; Photoplethysmography; Sexual Behavior - physiology; Sexuality; Sympathetic nervous system; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Vagina - physiology; Vaginal pulse amplitude; Women
• ISSN: 0048-5772; 1469-8986; 1540-5958
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01285.x

There is increasing evidence that women's physiological sexual arousal is facilitated by moderate sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. Literature also suggests that the level of SNS activation may play a role in the degree to which SNS activity affects sexual arousal. We provide the first empirical examination of a possible curvilinear relationship between SNS activity and women's genital arousal using a direct measure of SNS activation in 52 sexually functional women. The relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), a specific and sensitive marker of SNS activation, and vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), a measure of genital arousal, was analyzed. Moderate increases in SNS activity were associated with higher genital arousal, while very low or very high SNS activation was associated with lower genital arousal. These findings imply that there is an optimal level of SNS activation for women's physiological sexual arousal.