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How effective and safe are current interventions for sexual dysfunction following stroke? A Cochrane Review summary
Carlotte Kiekens1, Vanessa M Young2
1IRCCS MultiMedica, Milano, Italy.
Background:
Sexual dysfunction (SD) is experienced by 50% of stroke survivors, and it is identified as critical in their rehabilitation management, but often remains unaddressed.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness and adverse events of currently available interventions for SD following stroke.
Methods:
A summary of the Cochrane Review by Stratton et al. 2020, with comments from a rehabilitation perspective.
Results:
Three randomized control trials with a total of 212 participants were included. Evidence quality was very low for all assessed interventions (pharmacological, psycho-educational and physical therapy). The efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training for lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction remains uncertain. Pharmacological interventions may improve sexual functioning, while psychoeducation show little to no difference on sexual functioning outcomes.
Conclusions:
The effectiveness of current rehabilitation interventions for SD following stroke remains uncertain due to the low quality of evidence and limited sample size. Further studies with improved methodology should investigate rehabilitation interventions for SD in stroke survivors to improve their quality of life.
