Hypersexuality in neurological disorders.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Assessing the Phenomenology of Hypersexuality in Patients with Neurological Disorders and Evaluating the Feasibility of a Psychology-based Intervention for Managing Hypersexuality in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

• IRAS ID

  153823

• Contact name

  Jalesh Panicker

• Contact email

  j.panicker@ucl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Joint Research Office

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 5 months, 8 days

• Research summary

  Background: The issue of hypersexuality in neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), is grossly under reported and under described as compared to that in the general population.
  Hypersexuality can cause significant difficulty in daily life, in occupational, social and marital domains, leading to significant distress and early admission to formal care. Despite these potentially profoundly important implications, there is very little research into the causes or treatments.

  Objectives: This study seeks to assess the prevalence of hypersexuality in neurological disorders, explore the phenomenology of hypersexuality in the aforementioned neurological disorders, by investigating the clinical, pharmacological and cognitive correlates, as well as its impact upon the patient and their partner/carer. Following this, a psychological intervention will be developed and piloted with Parkinson’s disease patients and families of those coping with the effects of hypersexuality, to help reduce distress and promote well being.

  Design and methods: The study involves both systematic investigation and independent group comparison.
  This study will be divided into 3 different studies.
  Study I: Assessment of prevalence of hypersexuality in neurological disorders
  Study II: Systematic evaluation of hypersexuality in neurological disorders
  Study III: Evaluation of feasibility of a psychological intervention to manage effects of hypersexuality in a PD population

  Outcomes: It is hoped that this research will inform (1) our understanding of the predisposing, precipitating, and prolonging factors involved in the development of hypersexuality, to reveal predictors of the disorder; and (2) the development of a psychological intervention for people affected by hypersexuality, to reduce distress and promote well being.

• REC name

  London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/LO/0557

• Date of REC Opinion

  28 Apr 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion