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Nocturnal penile tumescence and penile responses in the waking state in diabetic and nondiabetic sexual dysfunctionals

Archives of Sexual Behavior volume 14, pages 109–129 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

This study compared diabetics with sexual dysfunction, nondiabetics with sexual dysfunction, and a group of controls on nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) during three nights in a sleep laboratory, and penile response to erotic stimulation in the waking state on one of the nights. Both diabetic and nondiabetic dysfunctionals showed less erectile response to erotic films and tape than controls but did not differ from each other. In contrast, the diabetic dysfunctionals showed significantly weaker NPT response than both the nondiabetic dysfunctionals and the controls, and 58% of them (contrasted with 23% of nondiabetic dysfunctionals and 0% of controls) would be classified as organic using minimal NPT (less than 11.5 mm maximal increase in penile circumference during any nocturnal erection) as the sole criterion. There was a significant relationship between NPT and waking erections in response to erotic stimuli, especially in the diabetic dysfunctionals and the controls.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 19711, Newark, Delaware, USA

    Marvin Zuckerman Ph.D. & Michael Neeb Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 19107, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Miguel Ficher Ph.D., Ralph E. Fishkin D.O., Arlene Goldman M.A. & Paul J. Fink M.D.

  3. Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 19107, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Stanley N. Cohen M.D.

  4. Department of Urology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 19107, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Joseph A. Jacobs M.D.

  5. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 19107, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Martin Weisberg M.D.

Authors
  1. Marvin Zuckerman Ph.D.
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  2. Michael Neeb Ph.D.
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  3. Miguel Ficher Ph.D.
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  4. Ralph E. Fishkin D.O.
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  5. Arlene Goldman M.A.
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  6. Paul J. Fink M.D.
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  7. Stanley N. Cohen M.D.
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  8. Joseph A. Jacobs M.D.
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  9. Martin Weisberg M.D.
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Zuckerman, M., Neeb, M., Ficher, M. et al. Nocturnal penile tumescence and penile responses in the waking state in diabetic and nondiabetic sexual dysfunctionals. Arch Sex Behav 14, 109–129 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541657

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541657

Key words

  • nocturnal penile tumescence
  • sexual arousal
  • sexual dysfunction
  • impotence
  • erectile dysfunction
  • sleep
  • diabetes