Determinants of Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients is a common and distressing concern, although it remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Indeed, the prevalence of SD in PD ranges from 42.6% to 79% in men and from 36% to 87.5% in women. PD-related SD etiology is multifactorial and includes biological, psychological, and socio-relational factors. In a previous multicenter study on 203 PD patients, we found that there was no gender difference in dysfunction severity, although men were significantly more affected by SD than women. Methods: This paper is a secondary analysis of this previous multicenter study, and aims to investigate the potential risk factors that contribute to SD. The relationship between dysfunction and the experimental factors was assessed using Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects (GLME) model. Results: The final analysis was conducted on a sample of 177 patients (76 women), after excluding individuals with incomplete data, non-compliance with inclusion criteria, or delays in assessment tool administration. The analysis, performed using the GLME model (R2 = 0.68), revealed that gender (p = 0.01), age (p = 0.02), and depression status (HAMD) (p = 0.01) were significant predictors of SD. In contrast, other factors considered in the model, such as diabetes, and autonomic symptoms, did not significantly influence SD. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that age, gender, and depression are important predictors of SD in patients with PD. Although SD is a common NMS in PD patients, it is often neglected in clinical practice and the research on this hot topic is still poor. Then, a multidisciplinary approach, including nursing and coaching, is mandatory in order to improve sexual health in this patient population.