Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1993 May;56(5):548–551. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.56.5.548

Anorgasmia in anterior spinal cord syndrome.

A Berić 1, J K Light 1
PMCID: PMC1015017  PMID: 8505649

Abstract

Three male and two female patients with anorgasmia and dissociated sensory loss due to an anterior spinal cord syndrome are described. Clinical, neurophysiological and quantitative sensory evaluation revealed preservation of the large fibre dorsal column functions from the lumbosacral segments with concomitant severe dysfunction or absence of the small fibre neospinothalamic mediated functions. These findings indicate a role for the spinothalamic system in orgasm.

Full text

PDF
548

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beretta G., Chelo E., Zanollo A. Reproductive aspects in spinal cord injured males. Paraplegia. 1989 Apr;27(2):113–118. doi: 10.1038/sc.1989.17. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berić A., Dimitrijević M. R., Lindblom U. Cortical evoked potentials and somatosensory perception in chronic spinal cord injury patients. J Neurol Sci. 1987 Sep;80(2-3):333–342. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(87)90167-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brindley G. S., Sauerwein D., Hendry W. F. Hypogastric plexus stimulators for obtaining semen from paraplegic men. Br J Urol. 1989 Jul;64(1):72–77. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1989.tb05526.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bérard E. J. The sexuality of spinal cord injured women: physiology and pathophysiology. A review. Paraplegia. 1989 Apr;27(2):99–112. doi: 10.1038/sc.1989.16. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chapelle P. A., Roby-Brami A., Yakovleff A., Bussel B. Neurological correlations of ejaculation and testicular size in men with a complete spinal cord section. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1988 Feb;51(2):197–202. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.51.2.197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dunn M. E., Trost J. E. Male multiple orgasms: a descriptive study. Arch Sex Behav. 1989 Oct;18(5):377–387. doi: 10.1007/BF01541970. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fruhstorfer H., Lindblom U., Schmidt W. C. Method for quantitative estimation of thermal thresholds in patients. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1976 Nov;39(11):1071–1075. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.39.11.1071. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GUTTMANN L. THE MARRIED LIFE OF PARAPLEGICS AND TETRAPLEGICS. Paraplegia. 1964 Oct;2:182–188. doi: 10.1038/sc.1964.33. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gerstenberg T. C., Nordling J., Hald T., Wagner G. Standardized evaluation of erectile dysfunction in 95 consecutive patients. J Urol. 1989 Apr;141(4):857–862. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)41033-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Goldberg J. M., Lindblom U. Standardised method of determining vibratory perception thresholds for diagnosis and screening in neurological investigation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1979 Sep;42(9):793–803. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.42.9.793. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kennedy S., Over R. Psychophysiological assessment of male sexual arousal following spinal cord injury. Arch Sex Behav. 1990 Feb;19(1):15–27. doi: 10.1007/BF01541823. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Monga T. N., Lawson J. S., Inglis J. Sexual dysfunction in stroke patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1986 Jan;67(1):19–22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Monteiro W. O., Noshirvani H. F., Marks I. M., Lelliott P. T. Anorgasmia from clomipramine in obsessive-compulsive disorder. A controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 1987 Jul;151:107–112. doi: 10.1192/bjp.151.1.107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. NATHAN P. W., SMITH M. C. Spinal pathways subserving defaecation and sensation from the lower bowel. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1953 Nov;16(4):245–256. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.16.4.245. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. NATHAN P. W., SMITH M. C. The centripetal pathway from the bladder and urethra within the spinal cord. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1951 Nov;14(4):262–280. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.14.4.262. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nurnberg H. G., Levine P. E. Spontaneous remission of MAOI-induced anorgasmia. Am J Psychiatry. 1987 Jun;144(6):805–807. doi: 10.1176/ajp.144.6.805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rosenbaum J. F., Pollack M. H. Anhedonic ejaculation with desipramine. Int J Psychiatry Med. 1988;18(1):85–88. doi: 10.2190/jl56-009m-8llk-v0yu. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rosomoff H. L. Bilateral percutaneous cervical radiofrequency cordotomy. J Neurosurg. 1969 Jul;31(1):41–46. doi: 10.3171/jns.1969.31.1.0041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shen W. W., Sata L. S. Inhibited female orgasm resulting from psychotropic drugs. A five-year, updated, clinical review. J Reprod Med. 1990 Jan;35(1):11–14. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Siösteen A., Lundqvist C., Blomstrand C., Sullivan L., Sullivan M. Sexual ability, activity, attitudes and satisfaction as part of adjustment in spinal cord-injured subjects. Paraplegia. 1990 Jun;28(5):285–295. doi: 10.1038/sc.1990.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tackmann W., Porst H., van Ahlen H. Bulbocavernosus reflex latencies and somatosensory evoked potentials after pudendal nerve stimulation in the diagnosis of impotence. J Neurol. 1988 Mar;235(4):219–225. doi: 10.1007/BF00314350. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. WHITE J. C., SWEET W. H., HAWKINS R., NILGES R. G. Anterolateral cordotomy: results, complications and causes of failure. Brain. 1950;73(3):346–367. doi: 10.1093/brain/73.3.346. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. White J. C. Cordotomy: assessment of its effectiveness and suggestions for its improvement. Clin Neurosurg. 1965;13:1–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES