University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center of Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland; Departments of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran.
Departments of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Aug;43:102106. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102106. Epub 2020 Apr 26.
Persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) report impaired sexual function, and this is particularly prevalent and burdensome for females with MS. The present study included a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design and examined the effect of aquatic exercise training on sexual function among females with MS.
The sample consisted of 60 married female PwMS (mean age: 37.68 years; median EDSS: 1.75) who were randomly assigned into one of the following conditions: aquatic exercise twice a week (2x/w); aquatic exercise three times a week (3x/w); active control condition (ACC). Participants completed questionnaires regarding sexual function (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, pain), symptoms of depression, sleep complaints, fatigue, and couple satisfaction before and after the 8-week study period.
The interventions had significant and positive effects on the overall score of sexual function (p < .001, η = .35), all subscales (desire (p = .002, 2 = .20), arousal (p = .01, 2 =.15), lubrication (p = .011, 2 = .15), orgasm (p = .007, 2 = .16), satisfaction (p = .023, 2 = .13), pain (p = .02, 2 = .13)) and depression (p =.002, 2 = .20).The interventions had no significant and positive effects on fatigue (p = .31, 2 = .04) sleep complaints (p = .079, 2= .087), and couple satisfaction (p = .69, 2 = .01) compared with the active control condition.
Aquatic exercise training may improve sexual function among female PwMS, but this requires further examination using a large sample pre-screened for sexual dysfunction. If confirmed, the present findings are of clinical and practical importance for females with MS.
多发性硬化症患者（PwMS）报告性功能受损，而女性多发性硬化症患者的这种情况尤其普遍且负担沉重。本研究包括一项随机对照试验（RCT）设计，旨在研究水上运动训练对女性多发性硬化症患者性功能的影响。
该样本由 60 名已婚女性多发性硬化症患者（平均年龄：37.68 岁；中位数 EDSS：1.75）组成，她们被随机分配到以下条件之一：每周两次水上运动（2x/w）；每周三次水上运动（3x/w）；积极对照组（ACC）。参与者在 8 周研究期前后完成了关于性功能（欲望、唤起、润滑、高潮、满意度、疼痛）、抑郁症状、睡眠投诉、疲劳和夫妻满意度的问卷。
干预措施对性功能的总分有显著的积极影响（p <.001，η =.35），对所有子量表（欲望（p =.002，2 =.20）、唤起（p =.01，2 =.15）、润滑（p =.011，2 =.15）、高潮（p =.007，2 =.16）、满意度（p =.023，2 =.13）、疼痛（p =.02，2 =.13））和抑郁（p =.002，2 =.20）有显著的积极影响。与积极对照组相比，干预措施对疲劳（p =.31，2 =.04）、睡眠投诉（p =.079，2 =.087）和夫妻满意度（p =.69，2 =.01）没有显著的积极影响。
水上运动训练可能会改善女性多发性硬化症患者的性功能，但这需要进一步使用经过筛选的大样本进行研究。如果得到证实，本研究结果对女性多发性硬化症患者具有临床和实际意义。
