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Project

Perceptie en modulatie van pijn bij vulvodynie: de rol van emoties, partners en oxytocine

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), i.e., chronic vulvar pain without an identifiable cause, is a prevalent disorder affecting about 5 to 19% of young women at reproductive age. The pain can be experienced during sexual as well as non-sexual activities (e.g., bicycling, wearing tight trousers) and negatively affects psychosexual and interpersonal functioning. To date, little is known about the causes of PVD and the factors that influence the experience of pain in women with this condition. Although research on other pain disorders has shown that emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal factors can all impact pain perception, these factors have, as yet, not been studied systematically in PVD patients. This project aims to fill this gap and will examine, using experimental methods, the role of emotional and interpersonal factors in the experience of vulvar pain. In two studies, we will examine a) the role of positive emotions, negative emotions, and sexual arousal and b) the role of touch (i.e., handholding) and the physical presence of the partner on pain perception in women with PVD. In addition, we will explore to what degree the effects of these manipulations may depend on or be modified by interpersonal (i.e. relationship satisfaction, partner responses) and biological factors (i.e. oxytocin). The findings of the two studies can be expected to increase our understanding of the role of affective and interpersonal processes in the experience of vulvar pain.

Datum:1 okt 2015 →  15 dec 2016
Trefwoorden:emotions, vulvodynia, pain, oxytocin, partners
Disciplines:Endocrinologie en metabole ziekten, Gynaecologie en verloskunde, Verpleegkunde