Picture of researcher Kristian Jensen sporting the high-density headset for LDAEP. The headset contains 256 electrodes, plus earphones; these can provide sound tones starting from round 60dB (which is as loud as a dialog) to 100dB (as loud as a loud hairdryer). Credit score: Signe Ghodt
Researchers have found that the power to have an erection or to orgasm is said to the degrees of serotonin within the mind, however this relation solely applies to depressed sufferers taking SSRI antidepressants.
In the mean time, there is no such thing as a take a look at for who may expertise sexual issues throughout therapy for despair, however this discovery could assist depressed sufferers to decide on antidepressants which permit them to keep up or regain an energetic intercourse life when handled with antidepressants. This work was offered on the ECNP convention in Amsterdam.
Sexual dysfunction is a standard symptom of despair. SSRI antidepressants will help sexual dysfunction by enhancing temper, however on the similar time, SSRIs themselves are sometimes related to sexual negative effects.
Sadly, there is no approach of predicting these negative effects prematurely. Issue reaching orgasm is a standard aspect impact, as are diminished want and issue sustaining an erection. These negative effects can have an effect on as much as 70% of sufferers taking SSRI medicines, resembling Prozac and escitalopram. These results could be distressing, usually resulting in individuals stopping therapy.
The Copenhagen-based researchers studied 90 individuals who had been recognized with despair. They measured mind serotonin exercise utilizing a particular EEG take a look at referred to as LDAEP (Loudness Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials), which is sort of a listening to take a look at that reveals how your mind processes sound; maybe surprisingly, this additionally tells us about serotonin ranges within the mind—the decrease the LDAEP, the upper the serotonin exercise.
The sufferers then began an 8-week course of SSRI antidepressants, with the researchers fastidiously monitoring any sexual negative effects that developed. This allowed the researchers to see if they may predict who would have sexual issues based mostly on their pretreatment LDAEP measurement.
Lead researcher Dr. Kristian Jensen (from Copenhagen College Hospital) stated, “We found that individuals with larger serotonin exercise earlier than therapy began had been more likely to develop sexual negative effects by the top of the eight-week antidepressant course, particularly issue reaching orgasm.
“Using this non-invasive brain measure combined with information about sexual problems related to their depression, we could predict the ability to reach orgasm with 87% accuracy. We need a bigger study, with more men, to get an accurate figure for erectile dysfunction”.
He continued, “Presently, sufferers solely uncover sexual negative effects after they’ve already began antidepressant remedy. Measuring serotonin exercise by way of the LDAEP take a look at in the beginning of the course of antidepressants permits us to foretell the chance of later sexual issues because of the SSRI.
“If confirmed, our findings might allow a extra exact method to despair therapy, serving to docs choose medicines to reduce sexual negative effects in these sufferers most probably to develop SSRI-related issues. This might assist therapy adherence and total high quality of life and customarily give higher therapy choices for despair.
“Our findings seem only to apply to medication-induced sexual problems, so it’s not a general test for sexual difficulties. However, we are now looking to refine this. We have a 600-patient study underway which will look at how serotonin levels combined with sex hormone levels affect sexual function during depression and medication”.
Commenting, Professor Eric Ruhe, Professor of Tough-to-Deal with Despair at Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, stated, “It is a very attention-grabbing examine the place the researchers innovatively use an easy-to-administer take a look at to foretell the prospect of sexual dysfunction after the beginning of antidepressant [use].
“When replicated, this type of test might reliably help to know beforehand whether a patient will have sexual adverse effects or not. As many patients experience sexual dysfunction after the start of SSRI antidepressants (like escitalopram), the most important clinical application will be to predict that sexual dysfunction will not occur, especially in patients who worry about that adverse effect and are hesitant to initiate treatment.”
“I also encourage the researchers to expand their efforts towards developing a tool that can advise which drug to take instead, without just relying on current pharmacological considerations.”
Professor Ruhe was not concerned on this work; that is an impartial remark.
This work is at the moment underneath peer-review. The researchers word that the themes within the examine had been comparatively younger (common age 27) and largely (73%) feminine, so they’re now aiming to copy the examine in a a lot greater group of 600 sufferers.
Dr. Jensen stated, “The LDAEP itself is quite elegant: we play sounds at different volumes through headphones while measuring brain waves. It takes about 30 minutes and is non-invasive. It’s not generally available at the moment, but that may change if this test lives up to expectations”.
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European Faculty of Neuropsychopharmacology
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Mind take a look at predicts capability to attain orgasm—however solely in sufferers taking antidepressants (2025, October 12)
retrieved 12 October 2025
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