title: Relationship between SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction and central serotonergic activity based on the loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been hypothesized that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual dysfunction can occur more frequently in patients with higher central serotonergic activity, and that this higher serotonergic activity can induce inhibition of sexual desire, ejaculation, and orgasm. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction and increased serotonin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Event-related potentials for the loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP) were measured in 46 patients at a single time point. The subjects' scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Antidepressant Side-Effect Checklist were also determined by the investigators at the same time point. All patients had received SSRI monotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 37 % (17/46) of the patients experienced some form of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction: lack of sexual desire, impotence, orgasm, and menstrual abnormality or mastalgia were experienced by 21.7, 8.3, 15.2, and 20.6 % of the patients, respectively. The subjects were thus divided into two groups-those with and without sexual dysfunction-and their data were compared. There was a tendency for the LDAEP to be lower in the group with sexual dysfunction (1.04 ± 0.77 μV) than the group without sexual dysfunction (1.45 ± 0.86 μV), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.086). Furthermore, the distribution of the frequency of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction differed marginally significantly between patients with low and high LDAEP, dichotomized according to the median LDAEP on the Cz electrode (χ (2) = 3.664, p = 0.056).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a relatively high frequency of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction in patients with low LDAEP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, 2240, Daehwa-Dong, Ilsan Seo-Gu, Goyang, 411-706, Republic of Korea, medipark@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D015283:Citalopram / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008144:Loudness Perception / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000009:adverse effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000009:adverse effects; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D017374:Paroxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline