NCT03495414

Neurobiological Underpinnings to Hypersexual Disorder

Neurobiologisk Bakgrund Till Hypersexuell Störning

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 42 (actual)
• Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Hypersexual Disorder (HD), sometimes called "sexual addiction", is a disorder with intense sexual desires and psychological preoccupations that lead to out-of-control sexual activities with severe consequences. HD is related to higher risks of HIV infection and an important risk factor for committing sexual crimes. The prevalence of HD is 3-6% of the general population, thus, a significant burden for society. The neurobiological mechanisms behind HD are still unknown, and there is still a great need for causal treatments. This study is aimed at identifying neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying HD as a basis for treatment development. The overall goal is to improve mental health, quality of life, diagnosis and treatment options for affected individuals, and to reduce the impact HD can have on society. Patients with HD will be recruited at Karolinska University Hospital in close collaboration between endocrinologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and brain researchers at Karolinska Institutet. Cases and healthy controls will undergo brain scans (MRI), psychological and blood tests to quantify neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of HD. This study is directly integrated into clinical practice, can identify important targets for interventions and factors predicting treatment outcomes. This study is essential for a better understanding of HD, the improvement of treatments, and can have significant impact on the prevention of HIV infections and sexual crimes.

Conditions

• Hypersexuality
• Hypersexual Disorder
• Compulsive Sexual Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Brain Imaging	* Structural MRI (T1 weighted) * Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) * resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) * functional MRI (fMRI): Brain activity will be measured in response to sexual images (visually evoked sexual arousal; processing of sexual stimuli), and importantly during a phase when these stimuli are anticipated (neural correlates of wanting and desire; reward anticipation).
OTHER	Cognitive testing	We will administer neuropsychological tests assessing objective measures for * intelligence (Ravens Matrices) * impulsivity and risk-taking behavior (Balloon Analogue Risk Task) * inhibitory control (Stop Signal Task).
OTHER	Psychometric	Administered questionnaires include anxiety and depression symptoms (MADRS, HADS, GAD), drug use (AUDIT, DUDIT), attention deficits (ASRS), impulsivity (BIS-11), reward seeking behavior (BIS/BAS), sexual orientation, (hyper)sexual behavior, desire and compulsivity aspects (HDSI, HBI, SCS, SDI, SIS/SES).
OTHER	Blood test	Blood samples will be taken for routine health assessment, measurement of sex hormonal levels, HPA-axis function test (dexamethasone suppression), and potential DNA extraction and (epi)genetic profiling.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-04-01
• Primary completion: 2021-12-30
• Completion: 2021-12-30
• First posted: 2018-04-12
• Last updated: 2022-04-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden