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Sex hormones, neurotransmitters, and psychopharmacological treatments in men with paraphilic disorders.

Paraphilic disorders are psychiatric syndromes primarily characterized by deviant sexual thoughts, cravings, urges, and/or behaviors. Paraphilic men may engage in inappropriate sexual behaviors when cravings for socially unacceptable sexual acts become overpowering. These often chronic disorders may not only cause emotional distress and social embarrassment to the afflicted patient but also to the targets of their paraphilic focus. The primary objective of this article is to examine and review data on the efficacy and tolerability of the testosterone-lowering agents medroxprogesterone acetate, cyproterone acetate, and leuprolide acetate. The secondary goal is to review data on less conventional and more innovative pharmacological treatments, particularly the serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors.

Adult↗

The monoamine hypothesis for the pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders: an update.

A monoamine hypothesis for the pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders was first articulated in 1997 by Kafka. This hypothesis was based on four converging lines of empirical evidence. First, the monoamine neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin serve a modulatory role in human and mammalian sexual motivation, appetitive, and consummatory behavior. Second, the sexual effects of pharmacological agents that affect monoamine neurotransmitters can have both significant facilitative and inhibitory effects on sexual behavior. Third, paraphilic disorders appear to have Axis I comorbid associations with nonsexual psychopathologies that are associated with monoaminergic dysregulation. Last, pharmacological agents that enhance central serotonergic function in particular, have been reported to ameliorate paraphilic sexual arousal and behavior. Contemporary data supporting or refuting a monoaminergic hypothesis as a biological component associated with paraphilic sex offending behaviors will be reviewed. Particular attention will be given to pharmacological-metabolic probe studies, reports of Axis I comorbidity, the proposed role of disinhibited sexual motivation or sexual appetitive behavior, and cumulative pharmacological treatment data sets.

Dopamine↗

A monoamine hypothesis for the pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders.

A monoamine pathophysiological hypothesis for paraphilias in males is based on the following data: (i) the monoamines norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin are involved in the appetitive dimension of male sexual behavior in laboratory animals; (ii) data gathered from studying the side effect profiles of antidepressant psychostimulant, and neuroleptic drugs in humans suggest that alteration of central monoamine neurotransmission can have substantial effects on human sexual functioning, including sexual appetite; (iii) monoamine neurotransmitters appear to modulate dimensions of human and animal psychopathology including impulsivity, anxiety, depression, compulsivity, and pro/antisocial behavior, dimensions disturbed in many paraphiliacs; (iv) pharmacological agents that ameliorate psychiatric disorders characterized by the aforementioned characteristics, especially central serotonin enhancing drugs, can ameliorate paraphilic sexual arousal and behavior.

Dopamine↗

Treatment of paraphilic sexual disorder: the use of topiramate in fetishism.

Topiramate, a newer anticonvulsant, has a modulating effect on voltage-dependent sodium and calcium ion channels, potentiates GABA neurotransmitters and blocks kainite/AMPA glutamate receptors. We describe the use of topiramate in the treatment of fetishism, a paraphilic sexual disorder. A 23-year-old male had developed sexual fantasies and urges towards women's feet and shoes from childhood onwards. The patient would masturbate with women's shoes, which he had bought or stolen from others. He would feel sexually excited by seeing and/or smelling female feet and shoes. He had received individual psychotherapy because of his unusual sexual expressions, marked distress and interpersonal difficulty. However, the psychotherapy was not effective and his symptoms of fetishism did not abate until he had been treated with topiramate (200 mg per day). He has been on the dose of this medication for more than 6 months and his symptoms of fetishism have since diminished. In addition, he has not experienced any significant side-effect with this medication. Experience with our patient suggests that topiramate may be effective in treating paraphilic sexual disorders. Further controlled studies are required to confirm its efficacy in patients of this type.

Adult↗

A comparison of treatment of paraphilias with three serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a retrospective study.

Treatment of the paraphilic disorders using behavioral, cognitive, pharmacological, and social interventions has been shown to have limited success with poorly motivated or noncompliant patients. Researchers have speculated on the role of the serotonergic system in the paraphilic disorders. Recent anecdotal studies have reported successful results with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of the paraphilic disorders. This retrospective study evaluates and compares the effectiveness of three SSRIs in a group of paraphilics (N = 58). The individual effectiveness of fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, and sertraline were examined and compared. Results found that the severity of fantasies decreased and that there were no significant differences in the reported efficacy between fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, and sertraline. Although double blind placebo crossover studies are still needed to assess the efficacy of these agents, this study further supports the growing body of literature on the potential use of these drugs in the treatment of the paraphilias.

1-Naphthylamine↗

Sexual disorders in Huntington's disease.

This study assessed the frequency and type of sexual disorders associated with Huntington's disease (HD) in an unbiased sample. Of 39 HD patients and 32 of their partners, 82% and 66%, respectively, had one or more sexual disorders by DSM-III-R criteria. The most frequent for both groups was hypoactive sexual disorder. Significantly more patients who had both inhibited orgasm and increased sexual interest also had paraphilic disorders. Findings support the hypotheses that sexual disorders are frequent among HD patients and their partners and that sexual disorders among HD patients may take the form of increased sexual interest or paraphilias. The association between inhibited orgasm, increased sexual interest, and paraphilic disorders will require further investigation but suggests a possible etiology for some paraphilias.

Adult↗

Hypersexual behaviour, frotteurism and delusional jealousy in a young parkinsonian patient during dopaminergic therapy with pergolide: A rare case of iatrogenic paraphilia.

Neuropsychological and psychopathological modifications induced by dopaminergic drugs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are invariably not taken into sufficient consideration by the neurologist. Among the former, modifications of sexual urges and behaviours are of particular importance with regard to severity and variety of clinical pictures. Although rare, such modifications may assume the connotations of an aberrant sexual behaviour with criminal implications, in line with a diagnosis of paraphilia. The authors report the case of a 51-year-old male PD patient who, after a few years of dopaminergic treatment with pergolide, developed a paraphilic disorder, consistent with DSM-IV TR diagnosis of frotteurism, and delusional jealousy. The patient presented mild motor impairment and lack of or negligible cognitive deterioration, thus providing evidence that these disorders are not typical of advanced PD. Pergolide was reduced and quetiapine, an atypical neuroleptic, was introduced with subsequent subsiding of the paraphilic disorder and improvement of delusional jealousy.

Age of Onset↗

Sexual deviancy: diagnostic and neurobiological considerations.

Individuals who engage in sexual offenses may be afflicted with a paraphilic disorder or sexual deviation syndrome. Paraphilias are psychiatric disorders characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors. A proportion of these individuals may also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders continue to be under investigation, data from empirical, biomedical, and psychopharmacological studies suggest abnormalities at a biological level. This article will discuss and review clinical and neurobiological characteristics of the paraphilias. To this end, we will begin with a general exploration and overview of basic principles that are germane to the subject matter and will conclude with an examination of the most recent relevant research findings.

Adult↗

Clinical characteristics and treatment response to SSRI in a female pedophile.

Although much investigation has been done with male sex offenders, there have been few studies on female sex offenders. Female sex offenders have been reported as having a high incidence of psychiatric disorders, but female paraphilics were rarely described. The literature on the treatment of female sex offenders is also limited and treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) has not been reported. This paper presents the case of a woman with DSM-IV pedophilia. Her clinical characteristics, her offense history, and her positive response to treatment with sertraline (a SSRI) are described. This case adds to the limited literature on female pedophiles and suggests that SSRIs may be an effective treatment for paraphilic disorders in female sex offenders.

Adult↗

Co-morbidity of alcoholism and the paraphilias.

Alcoholism has been related to a wide variety of crimes. Various authors have studied the prevalence of alcoholism in relationship to incest, rape and pedophilia. This study evaluates the co-morbidity of alcoholism and the specific paraphilias including sexual sadism, fetishism, incest, pedophilia, exhibitionism and transvestism. Rapists were included although by definition it is not strictly a paraphilic disorder. Seven hundred and twenty eight paraphilic individuals were evaluated. More than 50% of sexual sadists were alcoholics. Alcoholism in association with sexual sadists was statistically significant as compared to transvestites, rapists, pedophiles, and incest offenders. Transvestism had the lowest relative rate of alcoholism. The authors discuss these findings and the role alcoholism plays in causing violent sexual behavior in individuals with paraphilias.

Adult↗

The paraphilias and Depo-Provera: some medical, ethical and legal considerations.

Paraphilic disorders are Axis I psychiatric afflictions. They are not acquired by volitional decision, but are manifested by the association of erotic arousal with unacceptable behavior or stimulae (e.g., children). Because paraphilic behavior occurs in the service of a biological drive, use of medication to suppress sexual appetite may constitute an adjunct in treatment. Medroxyprogesterone can be used to decrease unacceptable erotic urges and fantasies, with the intent of increasing self-control. Such treatment should not be forced upon an unwilling person. Conversely, persons should not be denied access to treatment by laws which deter seeking help, or because of incarceration, parole, or probation.

Androgen Antagonists↗

Alexithymia in patients attending a sexual disorders clinic.

We measured alexithymic traits with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS; Bagby, Taylor, & Parker, 1988) in 170 individuals attending a sexual disorders clinic. We diagnosed 114 of the subjects with a sexual dysfunction and 56 with paraphilic disorders. We determined that 20.2% of the dysfunctional group and 26.8% of the paraphilic were alexithymic when the TAS was measured categorically. When we considered the TAS as a dimensional variable, the subset with paraphilias had significantly higher scores on the TAS only when depressed mood, as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993), was covaried. These data suggest that alexithymia in both sexually dysfunctional and paraphilic individuals is related to depressed mood, although the effect is more pronounced in paraphilics.

Adult↗

Preliminary observations of DSM-III-R axis I comorbidity in men with paraphilias and paraphilia-related disorders.

BACKGROUND: We describe a comorbidity study of DSM-III-R-defined Axis I diagnoses comparing male outpatient paraphiliacs to men with nonparaphilic forms of sexual impulsivity designated as paraphilia-related disorders. METHOD: Data were prospectively collected from 60 consecutively evaluated outpatient males, aged 21-53 years, seeking treatment for the principal disorders of paraphilias (N = 34) and/or paraphilia-related disorders (N = 26). Subjects completed a semistructured psychiatric Intake Questionnaire and Sexual Inventory. The lifetime prevalence of DSM-III-R Axis I diagnoses, including disorders of sexual impulsivity, was assigned by follow-up psychiatric interviews. RESULTS: Both groups of men were diagnosed with an elevated lifetime prevalence of mood disorders (76.7%), especially early-onset dysthymia (53.3%); psychoactive substance abuse (46.7%), especially alcohol abuse (40.0%); and anxiety disorders (46.7%), especially social phobia (31.6%). The predominant forms of sexual impulsivity reported by both groups were "nonparaphilic" paraphilia-related disorders: compulsive masturbation (73.3%), protracted promiscuity (70.0%), and dependence on pornography (53.3%). CONCLUSION: There were no major differences in lifetime Axis I diagnoses to differentiate men with paraphilic disorders from those with paraphilia-related disorders. Both groups were likely to acknowledge multiple paraphilias and/or multiple paraphilia-related disorders suggesting that sexual impulsivity has diverse manifestations, which can include culturally "deviant" as well as "normative" behaviors. Several hypotheses regarding the possible etiologic relationship between depressive disorders and sexual impulsivity are suggested.

Adult↗

The paraphilia-related disorders: an investigation of the relevance of the concept in sexual murderers.

Paraphilic disorders (PAs) and sexual preoccupation are known risk factors for recidivism in sexual offenders. Nonparaphilic sexual excessive behaviors-so-called paraphilia-related disorders (PRDs), like paraphilias, are also characterized by sexual preoccupation and volitional impairment and can be diagnosed in paraphilic men. The prevalence and clinical significance of PRDs in sexual homicide perpetrators, however, is unknown. We investigated the relationship between PAs and PRDs retrospectively in a sample of 161 sexual murderers. Four groups were compared: men without a PA or a PRD diagnosis, men with at least one PRD but no PA, men with at least one PA but no PRD, and finally, those with a combination of both (PA+PRD). The PA+PRD group had the most lifetime cumulative sexual impulsivity disorders, more developmental problems, the highest persistent frequency of sexual activity, the highest number of previous sexual offences, more sexual sadism, and compulsive masturbation. Men of the PRD subsample had suffered more from childhood sexual abuse, showed more promiscuity, psychopathy, and alcohol problems. The use of the PRD concept in this special offender group should be further investigated with prospectively designed studies.

Alcoholism↗

The paraphilia-related disorders: an empirical investigation of nonparaphilic hypersexuality disorders in outpatient males.

The frequency distribution of nonparaphilic hypersexual behaviors was investigated in an outpatient sample of 206 consecutively evaluated males seeking help for sexual impulsivity disorders (SIDs), either paraphilia-related disorders (PRD; n = 63) or paraphilias (PA; n = 143). Paraphilia-related disorders associated with help-seeking behaviors included compulsive masturbation (sample prevalence, 69%), protracted heterosexual or homosexual promiscuity (51%), pornography dependence (50%), telephone-sex dependence (24%), and severe sexual desire incompatibility (12%). Eighty-six percent of the PA sample reported at least one lifetime PRD. The subgroup of males with both PAs and lifetime PRDs (n = 123) self-reported the greatest number of lifetime SIDs, the highest incidence of physical and sexual abuse, the fewest years of completed education, and the highest likelihood of current unemployment or disability. As well, the subgroup of males with PAs but no lifetime PRDs (n = 20) self-reported the fewest lifetime SIDs; this subgroup was not statistically different from the PRD group on these aforementioned variables. These data suggest that social disadvantage, as assessed in this sample, is associated with the cumulative incidence of SIDs but not necessarily with the diathesis to develop paraphilic disorders.

Adult↗

The motivation behind serial sexual homicide: is it sex, power, and control, or anger?

Controversy exists in the literature and society regarding what motivates serial sexual killers to commit their crimes. Hypotheses range from the seeking of sexual gratification to the achievement of power and control to the expression of anger. The authors provide theoretical, empirical, evolutionary, and physiological support for the argument that serial sexual murderers above all commit their crimes in pursuit of sadistic pleasure. The seeking of power and control over victims is believed to serve the two secondary purposes of heightening sexual arousal and ensuring victim presence for the crime. Anger is not considered a key component of these offenders' motivation due to its inhibitory physiological effect on sexual functioning. On the contrary, criminal investigations into serial sexual killings consistently reveal erotically charged crimes, with sexual motivation expressed either overtly or symbolically. Although anger may be correlated with serial sexual homicide offenders, as it is with criminal offenders in general, it is not causative. The authors further believe serial sexual murderers should be considered sex offenders. A significant proportion of them appear to have paraphilic disorders within the spectrum of sexual sadism. "sexual sadism, homicidal type" is proposed as a diagnostic subtype of sexual sadism applicable to many of these offenders, and a suggested modification of DSM criteria is presented.

Anger↗

Essay on the diagnosis and nature of paraphilia.

Increasing clinical experience has allowed the formulation of three psychodynamic viewpoints about the nature of the paraphilic disorder. Paraphilia is a disorder of sexual identity development, often solely of the intention component, that has three characteristics: a long-standing, highly arousing, unusual erotic preoccupation; a pressure to act upon the erotic fantasy; sexual dysfunction with a partner during conventional sexual behavior. Paraphilia is also a disorder of self-regulation characterized by a considerable gap between personal aspirations and behaviors. Finally, paraphilia is a dramatic impairment in the capacity to love. Two rarely recognized issues complicate the nosology of paraphilia: Many related sexual problems are often confused with paraphilia, and some paraphilias manifest themselves as variations in gender identity and object choice. The defensive functions of paraphilia are discussed and common terms used in conjunction with paraphilia are redefined.

Adult↗