Sexual dysfunction in multiple sderosis: II. Correlation analysis

Abstract

Sexual dysfunction affect a large part of patient suffering from multiple sclerosis, but some aspect of i clinical presentation and aetiology are not clearly defined yet. In an unselected sample of 108 patient with definite multiple sclerosis we investigated the relationship between symptoms of sexual dysfunctioning and sphincteric dysfunction, patient' and disease characteristics, disability and neurological impairment psychological and cognitive functioning. Sexual dysfunction directly correlated with presence of physical disorders (r=0.37, P=0.0004) low educational level (r=0.32, P <0.002) disability (r=0.3 1, P <0.003) age at onset of symptoms (r=0.30, P <0.003) sphincteric dysfunction (r=0.30, P <0.003), age (r=0.30, P< 0.004) depression (r=0.29, P< 0.005) fatigue (r=0.29, P=0.005) cognitive deterioration (r=0.26, P< 0.0 1) primary-progressive co urse of disease (r=0.25, P < 0.02) ne urological impairment (r=0.25, P < 0.02), marriage (r0.24, P < 0.02) anxiety (r0.23, P < 0.03) male gender (r0.22, P=0.03) bladder dysfunction (r=0.29, P <0.04) and u nemployment (r0.2 1, P< 0.04). Sexual dysfunction correlated inversely with relapsing -remitting co urse of disease (r -0.31, P < 0.002). No correlation was fo und between sexual dysfunction and bowel dysfunction, duration of disease, secondary-progressive course of disease, number and frequency of sexual intercourses in the last year, number of partners, number of exacerbations in the last year, number of months since last exacerbation, masturbation, and fertility. In conldusion, the association between sexual dysfunction and sphincteric dysfunction indicates a common aetiology corresponding to the frequent involvement of the spinal cord in multiple sclerosis, but the concomitant correlation between sexual dysfunction and other variables suggest the possible aetiological role of physical psychological and sociological factors as well.