title: The association between symptoms of sexual dysfunction and age at onset in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Age at onset in Parkinson's disease (PD) seems to be related nonmotor symptoms. In this study we investigated the effect of the age at onset on symptoms of sexual dysfunction (SSD) in patients with PD.
  
  
  
  This prospective study comprised 22 consecutive outpatients with early onset PD (EOPD-onset of the disease before 55 years), and 66 outpatients with late onset PD (LOPD-onset of PD over 55 years). They were all recruited from the Department of Movement Disorders, Clinic of Neurology. The diagnosis was established according to the UK PD Brain Bank Criteria by a movement disorders specialist. The Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor was used to assess motor disability and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage was used to establish disease severity. The sexual functions of the patients were rated by applying the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX).
  
  
  
  Thirteen EOPD patients (59.09 %) and 53 of the LOPD patients (80.3 %) (p 0.047) reported dissatisfaction with at least one item of ASEX. There were no differences between H&Y stages (p 0.205) UPDRS total (p 0.267) and motor scores (p 0.100) between groups. LOPD patients had significantly higher ASEX scores than EOPD patients (p 0.001).
  
  
  
  Sexual dysfunciton occurs more frequently and more severely in LOPD than EOPD patients. PD patients with different ages at onset clinically present differently in terms of SSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey. dr_aydemir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tuba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Özcan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Medipol University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feriha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Özer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra Yancar
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayyıldız
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Age at onset; Parkinson’s disease; Symptoms ofsexual dysfunciton