Sexual Dysfunction in Patients with Epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Sexual Medicine

Background:

• Epilepsy frequently co-occurs with sexual dysfunction (SD) and reproductive issues.
• Understanding the interplay between epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and SD is crucial for patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between epilepsy, AEDs, and SD.
• To assess the association of SD with quality of life and depressive symptoms in epilepsy patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study conducted at a tertiary healthcare center.
• Evaluated SD using the validated Croatian version of the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX).
• Assessed depressive symptoms with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17) and quality of life with the QOLIE-31 inventory.

Main Results:

• Around one-third of epilepsy patients reported SD.
• SD symptoms were more pronounced in women and correlated significantly with older age.
• Significant correlations were found between SD, depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life.
• No significant correlations were observed between SD and epilepsy type or AEDs (old vs. modern generation).

Conclusions:

• SD is a common issue in epilepsy patients, affecting approximately one-third.
• SD is significantly associated with older age, female gender, depressive symptoms, and reduced quality of life.
• Epilepsy type and AEDs did not show a significant correlation with SD in this study.