Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 2004 Sep;75(9):1260–1264. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2003.034579

Sexual well being in parkinsonian patients after deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus

L Castelli 1, P Perozzo 1, M Genesia 1, E Torre 1, M Pesare 1, A Cinquepalmi 1, M Lanotte 1, B Bergamasco 1, L Lopiano 1
PMCID: PMC1739238  PMID: 15314111

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate changes in sexual well being in a group of patients with Parkinson's disease following deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN).

Methods: 31 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease (21 men and 10 women), bilaterally implanted for DBS of STN, were evaluated one month before and 9–12 months after surgery. Sexual functioning was assessed using a reduced form of the Gollombok Rust inventory of sexual satisfaction (GRISS). Depression (Beck depression inventory) and anxiety (STAI-X1/X2) were also evaluated. Relations between sexual functioning and modifications in the severity of disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage), reduction in levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD), age, and duration of disease were analysed.

Results: While no modifications were found in female patients, male patients reported slightly but significantly more satisfaction with their sexual life after DBS of STN. When only male patients under 60 years old were considered, a greater improvement in sexual functioning was found, though still small. Modifications in depressive symptoms and anxiety, as well as duration of the disease, reduction in LEDD, and improvement in the severity of disease, showed no relation with changes in sexual functioning after DBS of STN.

Conclusions: DBS of STN appears to affect sexual functioning in a small but positive way. Male patients with Parkinson's disease, especially when under 60, appeared more satisfied with their sexual well being over a short term follow up period.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (66.7 KB).

Selected References

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

  1. Alegret M., Junqué C., Valldeoriola F., Vendrell P., Pilleri M., Rumià J., Tolosa E. Effects of bilateral subthalamic stimulation on cognitive function in Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. 2001 Aug;58(8):1223–1227. doi: 10.1001/archneur.58.8.1223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ardouin C., Pillon B., Peiffer E., Bejjani P., Limousin P., Damier P., Arnulf I., Benabid A. L., Agid Y., Pollak P. Bilateral subthalamic or pallidal stimulation for Parkinson's disease affects neither memory nor executive functions: a consecutive series of 62 patients. Ann Neurol. 1999 Aug;46(2):217–223. doi: 10.1002/1531-8249(199908)46:2<217::aid-ana11>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brown E., Brown G. M., Kofman O., Quarrington B. Sexual function and affect in parkinsonian men treated with L-dopa. Am J Psychiatry. 1978 Dec;135(12):1552–1555. doi: 10.1176/ajp.135.12.1552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown R. G., Jahanshahi M., Quinn N., Marsden C. D. Sexual function in patients with Parkinson's disease and their partners. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 Jun;53(6):480–486. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.53.6.480. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cleeves L., Findley L. J. Bromocriptine induced impotence in Parkinson's disease. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Aug 8;295(6594):367–368. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6594.367-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hoehn M. M., Yahr M. D. Parkinsonism: onset, progression and mortality. Neurology. 1967 May;17(5):427–442. doi: 10.1212/wnl.17.5.427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Houeto J. L., Mesnage V., Mallet L., Pillon B., Gargiulo M., du Moncel S. Tezenas, Bonnet A. M., Pidoux B., Dormont D., Cornu P. Behavioural disorders, Parkinson's disease and subthalamic stimulation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002 Jun;72(6):701–707. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.72.6.701. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jacobs H., Vieregge A., Vieregge P. Sexuality in young patients with Parkinson's disease: a population based comparison with healthy controls. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Oct;69(4):550–552. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.69.4.550. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Krack P., Pollak P., Limousin P., Hoffmann D., Xie J., Benazzouz A., Benabid A. L. Subthalamic nucleus or internal pallidal stimulation in young onset Parkinson's disease. Brain. 1998 Mar;121(Pt 3):451–457. doi: 10.1093/brain/121.3.451. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Krack Paul, Fraix Valérie, Mendes Alexandre, Benabid Alim-Louis, Pollak Pierre. Postoperative management of subthalamic nucleus stimulation for Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2002;17 (Suppl 3):S188–S197. doi: 10.1002/mds.10163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kumar R., Lozano A. M., Kim Y. J., Hutchison W. D., Sime E., Halket E., Lang A. E. Double-blind evaluation of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in advanced Parkinson's disease. Neurology. 1998 Sep;51(3):850–855. doi: 10.1212/wnl.51.3.850. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lambert D., Waters C. H. Sexual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Clin Neurosci. 1998;5(2):73–77. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lanotte M. M., Rizzone M., Bergamasco B., Faccani G., Melcarne A., Lopiano L. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus: anatomical, neurophysiological, and outcome correlations with the effects of stimulation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002 Jan;72(1):53–58. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.72.1.53. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Limousin P., Krack P., Pollak P., Benazzouz A., Ardouin C., Hoffmann D., Benabid A. L. Electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in advanced Parkinson's disease. N Engl J Med. 1998 Oct 15;339(16):1105–1111. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199810153391603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lipe H., Longstreth W. T., Jr, Bird T. D., Linde M. Sexual function in married men with Parkinson's disease compared to married men with arthritis. Neurology. 1990 Sep;40(9):1347–1349. doi: 10.1212/wnl.40.9.1347. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lopiano L., Rizzone M., Bergamasco B., Tavella A., Torre E., Perozzo P., Valentini M. C., Lanotte M. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus: clinical effectiveness and safety. Neurology. 2001 Feb 27;56(4):552–554. doi: 10.1212/wnl.56.4.552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lopiano Leonardo, Rizzone Mario, Bergamasco Bruno, Tavella Alessia, Torre Elena, Perozzo Paola, Lanotte Michele. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in PD: an analysis of the exclusion causes. J Neurol Sci. 2002 Mar 30;195(2):167–170. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(02)00008-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McCabe Marita P., Taleporos George. Sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior among people with physical disability. Arch Sex Behav. 2003 Aug;32(4):359–369. doi: 10.1023/a:1024047100251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Moore O., Gurevich T., Korczyn A. D., Anca M., Shabtai H., Giladi N. Quality of sexual life in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2002 Mar;8(4):243–246. doi: 10.1016/s1353-8020(01)00042-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mulligan T., Retchin S. M., Chinchilli V. M., Bettinger C. B. The role of aging and chronic disease in sexual dysfunction. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1988 Jun;36(6):520–524. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1988.tb04022.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Perozzo P., Rizzone M., Bergamasco B., Castelli L., Lanotte M., Tavella A., Torre E., Lopiano L. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease: comparison of pre- and postoperative neuropsychological evaluation. J Neurol Sci. 2001 Nov 15;192(1-2):9–15. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(01)00575-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Romito L. M. A., Scerrati M., Contarino M. F., Bentivoglio A. R., Tonali P., Albanese A. Long-term follow up of subthalamic nucleus stimulation in Parkinson's disease. Neurology. 2002 May 28;58(10):1546–1550. doi: 10.1212/wnl.58.10.1546. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Trépanier L. L., Kumar R., Lozano A. M., Lang A. E., Saint-Cyr J. A. Neuropsychological outcome of GPi pallidotomy and GPi or STN deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease. Brain Cogn. 2000 Apr;42(3):324–347. doi: 10.1006/brcg.1999.1108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tröster A. I., Fields J. A., Wilkinson S. B., Pahwa R., Miyawaki E., Lyons K. E., Koller W. C. Unilateral pallidal stimulation for Parkinson's disease: neurobehavioral functioning before and 3 months after electrode implantation. Neurology. 1997 Oct;49(4):1078–1083. doi: 10.1212/wnl.49.4.1078. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Uitti R. J., Tanner C. M., Rajput A. H., Goetz C. G., Klawans H. L., Thiessen B. Hypersexuality with antiparkinsonian therapy. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1989 Oct;12(5):375–383. doi: 10.1097/00002826-198910000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Welsh M., Hung L., Waters C. H. Sexuality in women with Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 1997 Nov;12(6):923–927. doi: 10.1002/mds.870120614. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wermuth L., Stenager E. Sexual problems in young patients with Parkinson's disease. Acta Neurol Scand. 1995 Jun;91(6):453–455. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1995.tb00445.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES