Treatment With Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of the Pudendal Nerve in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction (NEEP)

July 28, 2026 updated by: Camilo Jose Cela University

Short- and Medium-term Efficacy of Treatment With Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of the Pudendal Nerve in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Erectile dysfunction is known as any alteration that produces a modification in the erectile response, whether of organic, psychogenic or relational cause. In this case the pudendal nerve is addressed, since it has its origin in the sacral plexus, deriving from the S2, S3 and S4 nerve branches. Its fibers have different innervation, being the pudendal nerve a mixed nerve, and estimating that it has 30% of autonomic innervation, and 70% of somatic innervation (50% sensory and 20% motor). Peripheral percutaneous nerve stimulation (proposed treatment) is performed with a needle to stimulate the peripheral nerves in such a way as to stimulate most of the area of the structure, stimulating sensory and motor nerve endings of the deeper tissues.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The study corresponds to an experimental, prospective, multicenter, randomized, prospective clinical trial. According to the Granmo program, it has been calculated to recruit 72 subjects with erectile dysfunction, recruited from different leading urology and andrology centers such as Clínica LYX (Instituto de Urología de Madrid). Patients will voluntarily accept to be part of the study, and will be able to ask the principal investigator any questions they may have at any time. The intervention will be performed at the LYX Clinic (Urology Institute).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
72

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Spain
      • Madrid, Spain, 28006
        • LYX Instituto de Urología

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men
  • Ages 18-60 years old
  • Primarily organic cause diagnosed by Doppler:

Peak-systolic velocities (PSV). Tele-diastolic velocity (DTV). Resistance Index (IR)

  • Initial IIEF-EF questionnaire scores: 1-25 points (mild, moderate or severe erectile dysfunction).
  • Active sex life (more than 4 attempts per month).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pelvic surgeries
  • History of Peyronie's disease
  • Penile surgeries, except circumcision or frenuloplasty
  • Priapism
  • Pelvic radiation
  • Women

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Group (Placebo)
Group I (Control), will be operated with the same procedure but without electric current, and using "placebo needles" of the same size (Streitberger Placebo-Needle ® , Asiamed, Pullach, Germany), which will not pierce the surface of the patient's skin, but will cause a prick sensation. This process will be developed by resting the needle on the skin of the patient's perineum and pushing the handle of the needle until it touches the surface of the skin, producing in the patient the impression of penetration, although this is not the case.
Other: Percutaneous electrical neurostimulation (Placebo)
Group I (Control), will be operated with the same procedure but without electric current, and using "placebo needles" of the same size (Streitberger Placebo-Needle ® , Asiamed, Pullach, Germany)
Experimental: Group (20 Hertz)
Group II will undergo continuous stimulation at a frequency of 20 Hertz, a pulse width of 200 μs and for a total of 20 minutes. The intensity will be set at the maximum tolerated by the patient.
Other: Percutaneous electrical neurostimulation
The Group II and III electrostimulation procedure is called peripheral nerve stimulation and is known as an echo-guided peripheral nerve stimulation technique using a blunt, dry needle (active electrode). The intervention will be performed on the pudendal nerve, in an area where there is no risk of perforating any vascular-nerve bundle. The invasive technique will be performed by a physiotherapist expert in musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous system ultrasound and specialized in invasive techniques, with two years of experience in the sector. The needle will be introduced through the anterior (perineum).
Experimental: Group 3 (50 Hertz)
Group III, will be intervened with continuous stimulation at a frequency of 50 Hz,a pulse width of 200 μs (18) and for a total of 20 minutes. The intensity will be set at the maximum tolerable threshold. In case the patient does not tolerate the treatment, due to increased fatigue, the 50 hertz will be alternated with the 20 hertz in bursts.
Other: Percutaneous electrical neurostimulation
The Group II and III electrostimulation procedure is called peripheral nerve stimulation and is known as an echo-guided peripheral nerve stimulation technique using a blunt, dry needle (active electrode). The intervention will be performed on the pudendal nerve, in an area where there is no risk of perforating any vascular-nerve bundle. The invasive technique will be performed by a physiotherapist expert in musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous system ultrasound and specialized in invasive techniques, with two years of experience in the sector. The needle will be introduced through the anterior (perineum).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF)
Time Frame: 4 months
It is an index that assesses erectile function in a purely subjective way. It is the most widely recognized and used, and consists of six questions in which the frequency and firmness of erection, penetration capacity, capacity and frequency of maintenance and confidence in erection are evaluated. According to the questionnaire, dysfunction is classified as: no ED (26-30 points), mild (22-25 points), mild to moderate (17-21 points), moderate (11-16 points) and very strong (6-10 points). A score equal to or greater than 4 points will be considered a significant change. Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention.
4 months
Erection Hardness Scale (EHS)
Time Frame: 4 months
significant changes will be considered to be those men who improved by more than 3 points what in the initial phase was below a score of 2 points. The questionnaire score depends on the rating of erection hardness according to the following parameters: 0 (penis does not enlarge); 1 (penis is larger, but not hard); 2 (penis is hard but not hard enough for penetration); 3 (penis is hard enough to penetrate, but not completely hard); and 4 (penis is completely hard and rigid). Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention.
4 months
Intravaginal Latency Time (IELT)
Time Frame: 4 months
Time to ejaculation is considered and should be between 3 and 6 minutes. A duration of less than one minute is considered premature ejaculation, and a duration between one minute and one and a half minutes is considered probable premature ejaculation. Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention.
4 months
Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT)
Time Frame: 4 months
Helps identify patients who may be suffering from premature ejaculation. Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention.
4 months
Quality of Life Scale
Time Frame: 4 months
It is used to know in a subjective way, the patient's opinion regarding his/her quality of life, according to 4 main aspects: physical, psychological, social and environmental health. Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. The scale is measured by 26 items, divided into 4 dimensions. Each dimension is independent. The higher the score, the higher the patient's quality of life.
4 months
Self-Esteem And Relationship Questionnaire (Sear)
Time Frame: 4 months
It is a questionnaire used for research and/or clinical practice on self-esteem, in this case for patients with erectile dysfunction. Measurement pre-, one week after the intervention, one month after the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. The scale is measured from 0 to 100 points, with 0 being the worst score and 100 being the best.
4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Camilo Jose Cela University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Álvaro Navas Mosqueda, Camilo Jose Cela Univerity

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 20, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 29, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 1, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 3, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NEEP

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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