The Relationship Between and Correlates of Problematic Sexual Behavior and Major Mental Illness

While research has consistently found that general distress and psychopathology are not predictive of sexual recidivism, examination of specific syndromes and their relationship to offending has revealed a potentially more complicated relationship. One proposed mechanism for the mixed findings with respect to major mental illness and sexual offending may be the confound of neurological injury. As identified in Mann et al. (2010) work on psychologically meaningful risk factors, mental illness represents an area in need of more study given the indirect influence it may exert on risk. To this end, the current paper summarizes the study of the relationship between neurological injury, psychosis and problematic sexual behavior among two Canadian samples of forensic and civil psychiatric patients. In the first study we observed higher than expected rates of sexually-themed psychotic symptoms (45%) and problematic sexual behavior (PSB; 40%) among a combined group of forensic and civil psychiatric patients (n = 109). Indeed 70 percent of those individuals who engaged in PSB endorsed sexually-themed psychotic symptoms. While comorbidity is common amongst this group, brain injury appeared to represent a specific liability. Compared to those who did not engage in PSB, those who did were almost 4x (OR = 3.83) more likely to have a documented history of brain injury (e.g., traumatic and acquired brain injury, including fetal alcohol syndrome). In the second study we sought to replicate this finding in a larger forensic sample of 1,240. However, the recorded rates of brain injury were significantly less, such that no relationship to PSB was observed. Based on the mixed findings to date, including our own data, questions remain about the nature of a potential shared vulnerability for psychosis and PSB previously postulated. Among psychiatrically complex individuals who engage in PSB, understanding etiology and links to risk are helpful, but perhaps more importantly is attention to the mechanisms through which symptoms confer risk (e.g., problem solving, sexual disinhibition, social/intimacy deficits) and how best to treat and manage them.

Hypersexual Behavior Due to Premature Psychosexual Development: Clinical Examples

The article contains 3 clinical examples, which demonstrate possible appearance of hypersexuality, caused by premature psychosexual development. The first case (observed by the author) deals with a 13-year-old teenager, who was adopted at the age of 9. His birth mother (BM), who was deprived of parental rights, abused alcoholic beverages. BM had sexual intercourses with men, while her son was with her in the same bed. Besides approximately from the age of 6–7 years she sucked his penis. Soon after his adoption the boy climbed up on his lying adoptive mother (AM), with whom he lived together in one flat, and began pressing his lips to hers (“he lied like a male on a female”). Once, when they were visited by AM relatives and it was necessary to distribute, who would sleep with whom, a decision was made that the adopted son (AS) would sleep with a 7-year-old adopted grandson (AG) of AM. Then AS was 12 and he, as it was found out later, made an attempt to insert his erected penis into the anus of AG, but the latter managed to writhe himself free. At the same age of 12 he attempted a sexual intercourse with a native granddaughter of AM (a little girl), who told her grandmother about it. Then they found a significant amount of blood on her panties and genitals, and decided that he deflowered her. But as a result of forensic examination it was revealed that the blood on the granddaughter’s panties and genitals was not hers, but belonged to AS, whose attempt to insert his penis into her vagina resulted in a rupture of his penile frenulum, that made him stop any further sexual actions. AM informed that AS constantly peeped at her when she was naked or scantly dressed. He did the same with her granddaughter, after what she refused to visit them. Now, in order not “to be in the cross hairs”, AM takes a bath only after he leaves for school. As a result of his talk with AM and examination of AS the author has concluded that the patient has sexual disinhibition associated with his premature psychosexual development, the latter being caused by sexually molesting behaviour on the part of the child’s BM. The second and third cases (observations by other authors) also deal with hypersexual behaviour, caused by premature psychosexual development.

Hypersexuality as a Manifestation of Various Disorders

The article deals with hypersexuality, which can be a manifestation of a wide variety of disorders. These include: consequences of a psychotrauma; premature psychosexual development; borderline personality disorder; submaniac and maniac states in bipolar affective disorder and schizoaffective type of the course of schizophrenia; disinhibition of libido, rough and naked eroticism in the initial stage of schizophrenia; consequence of advanced emotional volitional disorders in simple-type schizophrenia; temporal lobe epilepsy; dementia; mental retardation (oligophrenias); various organic brain lesions (resulting from neuroinfections, injuries, vascular damages, neoplasms) [the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain are indicated as regulators of libido]; consequence of disorders in the hypothalamic area and limbic system. It is reported that a correlation exists between development of hypersexuality and damages in certain cerebral areas in patients with non-traumatic brain damage. It is pointed out that hypersexuality may result from maldevelopment of the right hippocampus, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, in patients with disseminated sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Kluver-Bucy syndrome as well as be caused by various hormonal disorders and consequences of premenstrual changes and effect of virilizing hormones during the childhood or intrauterine period. Numerous clinical illustrations of cases with hypersexuality, caused by various disorders, are given. The author holds the opinion that it is necessary to divide hypersexuality at least into two categories: true hypersexuality and sexual disinhibition, when with the normal or even reduced level of libido manifestation the hypersexual behaviour results from absence or insufficiency of inhibitory mechanisms (for example, in dementia).

0026 Strong Gene-Environment Interactions of Trank1 Gene Polymorphisms with Birth Difficulties in Kleine Levin Syndrome

Introduction Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder affecting adolescents and characterized by relapsing-remitting episodes of severe hypersomnia, cognitive impairment, and behavioral disturbances such as hyperphagia and sexual disinhibition. Pathophysiology is unknown, although imaging studies indicate decreased activity in hypothalamic/thalamic areas and in cortical areas during episodes. Familial occurrence is increased, and risk is associated with reports of complicated birth. Methods A worldwide Genome wide association (GWA) study was conducted in 673 KLS patients and ethnically matched 15,341 control individuals. Results We found a strong genome-wide significant association (OR=1.48 at rs150168018, p=8.6x10-9) with 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) encompassing a 35kb region located in the 5’ region of TRANK1 gene previously associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Strikingly, KLS cases with TRANK1 had statistically increased reports of difficult birth. As perinatal outcomes have dramatically improved over the last 40 years, we further stratified our sample by birth years, and found that recent cases had a significantly reduced TRANK1 association. These findings were confirmed in an independent replication cohort of 171 new patients where polygenic risk scores constructed on the discovery cohort replicated (r2=0.15; p<2.7x10-22 at p=0.1 threshold) and the TRANK1 association was found to be dependent on reports of birth difficulties (OR=1.54, p=0.01 versus OR=1.12, p=0.4). Pathway analysis of the overall GWAS association revealed significant association (p=0.02) with 19 genes in a pathway modulating rhythmic behaviors. Conclusion Our results demonstrate links between hypersomnia, behavioral rhythmicity and bipolar disorder and indicate that a polymorphism in the TRANK1 region affect brain development in the presence of a perinatal injury, with pathophysiological consequences such as KLS, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Support NIH NIMH 1R01MH080957 to EM PHRC 070138 to IA

Sexuality and sexual dysfunctions in older people: a forgotten problem

SUMMARYThis article considers sexuality in older adults and the associated stereotypes and stigmas that lead to this area being underappreciated. Normal physiological changes in ageing are discussed and how they can cause sexual dysfunction. The elderly population has a higher burden of comorbid physical illness and this review considers evidence on the interplay between physical health and sexual health. Mental illness is also strongly linked with sexual functioning and is discussed, as is the evidence on psychotropics and sexual side-effects. Attitudes on sexuality in long-term care settings are highlighted and approaches to managing sexual disinhibition are included.