Jokinen, Jussi
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6766-7983
Flanagan, John
Chatzittofis, Andreas
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences.
Öberg, Katarina
Abstract [en]
Background: Hypersexual disorder (HD) integrating pathophysiological aspects such as sexual desire deregulation, sexual addiction, impulsivity and compulsivity was suggested as a diagnosis for the DSM-5. “Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder” is now presented as an impulse-control disorder in ICD-11. Recent studies showed dysregulated HPA axis in men with HD. Oxytocin (OXT) affects the function of the HPA axis; no studies have assessed OXT levels in patients with HD. Whether a CBT treatment for HD symptoms has an effect on OXT levels has not been investigated.
Methods: We examined plasma OXT levels in 64 male patients with HD and 38 male age-matched healthy volunteers. Further, we examined correlations between plasma OXT levels and dimensional symptoms of HD using the rating scales measuring hypersexual behaviour: Hypersexual disorder screening inventory (HDSI) and the Sexual Compulsive scale (SCS). A part of the patients (N = 30) completed the manual-based group-administered CBT program for HD and had a secondary measurement of OXT at post-treatment. OXT was measured with Radioimmunoassay (RIA).
Results: Patients with HD had significantly higher OXT (Mean 31.0 ± SD 9.9 pM) levels compared to healthy volunteers (Mean 16.9 ± SD 3.9 pM) (p < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between OXT levels and the rating scales measuring hypersexual behaviour (Spearman rhos between HDSI r = 0.649, p < 0.001 and SCS r = 0.629, p < 0.001) in the study participants combined. Patients who completed CBT treatment had significant reduction of OXT levels from pre-treatment (30.5 ± 10.1pM) to post-treatment (20.2 ± 8.0pM) (p < 0.001). Patients with HD had a significant positive correlation of their changes in HD:CAS with plasma oxytocin level before and after CBT (r = 0.388, p value= 0.0344).
Conclusions: The results suggest hyperactive oxytonergic system in male patients with hypersexual disorder which may be a compensatory mechanism to attenuate hyperactive stress system. A successful CBT group therapy may have effect on hyperactive oxytonergic system.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Nature Publishing Group, 2019. Vol. 44, p. 114-114
Keywords [en]
Oxytocin and Addiction, Hypersexual Disorder, Cognitive Behavior Therapy
National Category
Pharmacology and Toxicology Neurosciences Psychiatry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-168967ISI: 000509665600228OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-168967DiVA, id: diva2:1420877
Conference
58th Annual Meeting of the American-College-of-Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), DEC 08-11, 2019, Orlando, FL
Supplement: 1
Meeting Abstract: M71
Available from: 2020-04-01 Created: 2020-04-01 Last updated: 2020-04-01
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