Relationship Between Dopaminergic Treatment and Sexual Behavior in Parkinson’s Disease
İlhan ATAGÜN,1 Aytül MUTLU,2 Feriha ÖZER,2 Birgül ATMACA,2 Sibel ÇETİN2
1Bakırköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi 12. Psikiyatri Kliniği, İstanbul, Türkiye;
2Haseki Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Nöroloji Kliniği, İstanbul, Türkiye
Keywords: Dopaminergic therapy; Parkinson’s disease; sexual dysfunction.
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting sexual function in Parkinson’s disease and to investigate whether sexual function is differently affected bylevodopa treatment and dopamine agonists.
Patients and Methods: Fifty-four (15 females, 39 males; mean age 67.1±8.9 years; range 46 to 85 years) early stage (stage
1 and 2) patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease diganosis were included in this study. Parkinson’s patients were evaluated with Hoehn-Yahr scale (H&Y), unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS), standardized minimental state examination (MMSE), Hamilton depression and anxiety scale (HAM-D / HAM-A) and Arizona sexual experiences scale (ASEX).
The relationship between the medications and their doses and the clinical data was analyzed.
Results: Sexual functions were found to deteriorate with age. It was found that sexual functions did not differ between levodopa, dopamine agonist and levodopa/dopamine agonist combination therapy groups. Hypersexual behavior frequency was found 16.6% in dopamine agonist therapy subgroup.
Conclusion: Although there was not a substantial difference between dopaminergic therapy types, increased sexual behavior was observed in patients reveiving agonist therapies. However, the number of patients in the group receiving agonist therapy was low and the distribution of the medications was not homogenous. Therefore, studies with larger and more homogeneous samples are needed.