Objective: This study aimed to compare the motor, non-motor, and social aspects of women with Parkinson’s disease who have sexual dysfunction and those who do not.

Background: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common non-motor symptom in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Despite its prevalence and impact on quality of life, there is limited research on sexual dysfunction in women with Parkinson’s disease.

Method: We conducted a remote cross-sectional study of 100 women with a mean age of 54.45 (SD = 8.31), in stage H&Y mean of 1.70 (SD = 0.71). We collected data for each participant using various tests and scales, including socio-economic condition (SEC), Levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), Telephone – Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA), Movement Disorder Society – Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS, Part I and II), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), Rosemberg’s Self-esteem (RSES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), couple relationship quality by Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and female sexual function index (FSFI). We used the One-Way ANOVA test for normally distributed variables and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test for variables that did not exhibit normal distributions. We considered p-values below 5% to be statistically significant. We also used the Turkey post-test for pairwise comparisons between groups.

Results: The results obtained by FSFI were able to identify significant differences the women with Parkinson’s disease with and without sexual dysfunction for socio-economic condition, motor disability level, fatigue, sleep quality, self-esteem, and depression. There were no significant differences between the groups for but not for LEDD, disease duration, H&Y stage, cognition, non-motor disability level, and dyadic adjustment.

Conclusion: Women who report experiencing SD tend to have lower levels of self-esteem, sleep quality, and social engagement, as well as higher levels of motor disability and depressive symptoms compared to those without SD. Therefore, addressing this condition requires a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach that considers its various aspects, including motor, non-motor, and social dimensions. It is essential to implement this approach proactively from the early stages of the disease to preserve sexual function.

« Back to 2024 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/comparasion-of-motor-non-motor-social-aspects-between-women-with-parkinsons-disease-with-and-without-sexual-dysfunction/