Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) is a common cause of dyspareunia in pre-menopausal
women. Recent evidence points to the importance of the sensory component in VVS,
particularly the heightened processing of tactile and pain sensation in the vulvar vestibule.
The goal of the present study was to examine the neural basis of heightened sensitivity to
touch (ie allodynia) in women with VVS. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we
compared regions of neural activity in 14 women with VVS and 14 age-and contraceptive …