Biofeedback and facilitation of erection in men with erectile dysfunction

Thirty men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction were instructed to concentrate on cognitions that facilitate erection during one baseline and four training sessions. The subjects were divided into three groups that received either continuous feedback of erection changes plus segments of erotic film delivered contingent on erection increases, contingent film segments without continuous feedback, or noncontingent film segments. Although subjects who received noncontingent film segments initially showed greater erection increase than did subjects in the contingent feedback groups, the groups did not differ by the final training session. However, when subjects were instructed to facilitate erection without the aid of feedback or film segments during evaluation trials that followed each training session, subjects who had received contingent film without continuous feedback showed greater erectile responsivity than subjects in other groups. The groups did not differ in the amount of clinical improvement shown on self-report measures concerning erectile functioning during a 1-month follow-up period. Although these results indicate that the provision of erotic film feedback enhances the voluntary facilitation of erection in the laboratory, the therapeutic value of erectile feedback remains undemonstrated.