This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Zorzon, M Articles by Cazzato, G Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zorzon, M Articles by Cazzato, G Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Sexual dysfunction in multiple sderosis: a case-control study. 1. Frequency and comparison of groups

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

R Zivadinov

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

A Bosco

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

L Monti Bragadin

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

R Moretti

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

L Bonfigli

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

P Morassi

Rheumatic Diseases Centre, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy

L G Iona

Rehabiitation Centre, Santorio Hospital, Trieste, Italy

G Cazzato

Clinical Neurology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

Sexual dysfunction is a very important but often overlooked symptom of multiple sclerosis. To investigate the type and frequency of symptoms of sexual dysfunction in patient suffering from multiple sclerosis, we performed a case-control study comparing 108 unselected patient with definite multiple sclerosis, 97 patient with chronic disease and 1 10 healthy individuals with regard to sexual function, sphincteric function, physical disorders impeding sexual activity and the impact of sexual dysfunction on social life. Information has been collected from a face-to-face structured interview performed by a doctor of the same gender as the patient. The disability, the cognitive performances, the psychiatric conditions and the psychological profile of patien t a nd co ntrols have bee n assessed. Sexul a dysfu nction was prese nt in 73.1% of cases, in 39.2% of chronic disease co ntrols and in 12.7% of h e althy co ntrols (P < 0.000 1). Male cases reported symptoms of sexual dysfunction more freq ue ntly th an female cases (P <0.002). Symptoms of sexual dysfunction more commonly reported in patient with multiple scerosis were anorgasmia or hyporgasmia (37.1%), decreased vaginal lubrication (35.7%) and reduced libido (31.4%) in women, and impotence or erectile dysfunction (63.2%), ejaculatory dysfunction and/or orgasmic dysfunction (50%) and reduced libido (39.5%) in men. Seventy-five per cent of cases, 51.% of chronic disease controls and 28.2% of healthy controls (P <0.0001) experienced symptoms of sphincteric dysfunction. In conldusion, a substantial part of our sample of patient with multiple sclerosis reported symptoms of sexual and sphincteric dysfunction. Both sexual and sphincteric dysfunction were significantly more common in patient with multiple sclerosis than in either control group. Our findings suggest that a peculiar damage of the structures involved in sexual function is responsible for the dysfunction in patient with multiple scerosis, but the highly significant lower frequency of symptoms of depression and anxiety in healthy controls may also imply a possible causative role of psychological factors.

Key Words: sexual dysfunction • sphincteric dysfunction • multiple sclerosis • case-control study • social life • psychological functioning

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 5, No. 6, 418-427 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/135245859900500i609


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M Lee and P O'Brien Pregnancy and multiple sclerosis J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, December 1, 2008; 79(12): 1308 - 1311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Tepavcevic, J Kostic, I. Basuroski, N Stojsavljevic, T Pekmezovic, and J Drulovic The impact of sexual dysfunction on the quality of life measured by MSQoL-54 in patients with multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, September 1, 2008; 14(8): 1131 - 1136. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Basson Sexual Desire and Arousal Disorders in Women N. Engl. J. Med., April 6, 2006; 354(14): 1497 - 1506. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Demirkiran, Y. Sarica, S. Uguz, D. Yerdelen, and K. Aslan Multiple sclerosis patients with and without sexual dysfunction: are there any differences? Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2006; 12(2): 209 - 211. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Crayton, R. A. Heyman, and H. S. Rossman A multimodal approach to managing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis Neurology, December 14, 2004; 63(11_suppl_5): S12 - S18. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. Borello-France, W. Leng, M. O'Leary, M. Xavier, J. Erickson, M. B Chancellor, and T. W Cannon Bladder and sexual function among women with multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, August 1, 2004; 10(4): 455 - 461. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M Zorzon, R Zivadinov, L Locatelli, B Stival, D Nasuelli, A Bratina, A Bosco, M A Tommasi, R S Pozzi Mucelli, M Ukmar, et al. Correlation of sexual dysfunction and brain magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, February 1, 2003; 9(1): 108 - 110. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. J Thompson SYMPTOMATIC MANAGEMENT AND REHABILITATION IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, December 1, 2001; 71(suppl_2): ii22 - ii27. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R Zivadinov, M Zorzon, A Bosco, L M. Bragadin, R Moretti, L Bonfigli, L G Iona, and G Cazzato Sexual dysfunction in multiple sderosis: II. Correlation analysis Multiple Sclerosis, December 1, 1999; 5(6): 428 - 431. [Abstract] [PDF]