Background and aims: Despite the high prevalence of perceived problems relating to symptoms of hypersexual disorder (HD), important aspects remain underinvestigated. This study examines symptoms of depression, symptoms of problematic cybersex, and coercive sexual behavior in a large online sample from a German-speaking population. Methods: In an online survey, N = 1,194 (n = 564 women) participated in this study and completed measures including self-report questionnaires to assess depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), HD (HBI-19), symptoms of problematic cybersex (s-IATsex), as well as questions characterizing participants sexually, including fantasies and actual sexual coercive behaviors. Results: Men reported increased levels of HD symptom severity, pornography consumption, masturbation, and partnered sexual activity. Moreover, 59% of men and 18% of women reported fantasies of sexual coercion, whereas 21% of men and 4% of women reported acts of sexual coercion. Moderated regression analyses showed that symptoms of depression as well as sexual coercive fantasies and behaviors were associated with levels of HD symptom severity. Problematic cybersex, total sexual outlet (TSO), pornography consumption, and number of sexual partners were also associated with HD symptom severity. Interaction effects indicated that, in women, the connection of TSO as well as pornography was more strongly associated with levels of HD symptom severity than in men. Conclusions: This survey indicated that levels of HD symptom severity are often associated with severe intraand interpersonal difficulties. Furthermore, the amount of sexual activity seems to be more strongly connected to levels of HD symptom severity in women than in men.

Problems arising from hypersexual behavior are often seen in clinical settings. We aimed to extend the knowledge about the clinical characteristics of individuals with hypersexual disorder (HD). A group of people who fulfilled the proposed diagnostic criteria for HD (men with HD, n = 50) was compared to a group of healthy controls (n = 40). We investigated differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental, and family factors based on self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. Men with HD reported elevated rates of sexual activity, paraphilias, consumption of child abusive images, and sexual coercive behavior compared to healthy controls. Moreover, rates of affective disorders, attachment difficulties, impulsivity, and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies were higher in men with HD. Men with HD seem to have experienced various forms of adverse childhood experiences, but there were no further differences in sociodemographic, neurodevelopmental factors, and family factors. Regression analyses indicated that attachment-related avoidance and early onset of masturbation differentiated between men with HD and healthy controls. In conclusion, men with HD appear to have the same neurodevelopment, intelligence levels, sociodemographic background, and family factors compared to healthy controls, but they report different and adverse experiences in childhood, problematic sexual behavior, and psychological difficulties.

We used amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a model of prefrontal dysfunction in order to re-assess the potential neuronal substrates of two sub processes of working memory, namely information storage and filtering. To date it is unclear which exact neuronal networks sustain these two processes and the prefrontal cortex was suggested to play a crucial role both for filtering out of irrelevant information and for the storage of relevant information in memory. Other research has attributed information storage to more posterior brain regions, including the parietal cortex and stressed the role of subcortical areas in information filtering. We studied 14 patients suffering from ALS and the same number of healthy controls in an fMRI-task that allowed calculating separate storage and filtering scores. A brain volume analysis confirmed prefrontal atrophy in the patient group. Regarding their performance in the working memory task, we observed a trend toward slightly impaired storage capabilities whereas filtering appeared completely intact. Despite the rather subtle behavioral deficits we observed marked changes in neuronal activity associated with ALS: Compared to healthy controls patients showed significantly reduced hemodynamic responses in the left occipital cortex and right prefrontal cortex in the storage contrast. The filter contrast on the other hand revealed a relative hyperactivation in the superior frontal gyrus of the ALS patients. This hyperactivation might reflect a possible compensational mechanism for the prefrontal degeneration found in ALS. The reduced hemodynamic responses in the storage contrast might reflect a disruption of prefrontal top-down control of posterior brain regions, a process which was especially relevant in the most difficult high load memory task. Taken together, the present study demonstrates marked neurophysiological changes in ALS patients compared to healthy controls during the filtering and storage of information in spite of largely intact behavior. With respect to the neuronal substrates of the two working memory processes under investigation here, the results suggest that it is rather the degree to which top-down control is required for task completion that determines prefrontal cortex involvement than the specific nature of the process, i.e., storage vs. filtering.

ReSumO: É à Psico-Oncologia, área de intersecção entre a Psicologia e a Oncologia, que cabem o estudo das variáveis psicológicas e comportamentais envolvidas no processo de adoecimento e cura e as intervenções ao longo de todo ele. A Psico-Oncologia aprofundou e refinou técnicas de potencialização dos efeitos dos tratamentos médicos, capacitando cada doente a utilizar seus recursos mentais de maneira focal, para reforçar os efeitos dos medicamentos que recebe. Desenvolveu também recursos de apoio aos cuidadores, profissionais ou não, para que atuem como co-participantes de todo o tratamento, ao mesmo tempo em que lhes proporciona estratégias de auto cuidado e fortalecimento, visando também a manutenção de sua própria saúde física e mental. PalavRaS-chave:Oncologia. Cuidadores. Saúde mental.abStRact: PsychoOncology, an area of intersection between Psychology and Oncology, studies the psychological and behavioral variables present in the process of sickness and cure and interventions which happen throughout all that process. PsychoOncology has deepened and sharpened techniques for potentiating the effects of medical treatments, enabling each patient to use their mental resources in a focal way, trying to reinforce the effects of medicines they take. It has also developed resources for supporting caretakers, be they professionals or not, so that they act as co-contributors in all stages of treatment, at the same time as it provides strategies for selfcare and strengthening, also with the aim of maintaining their own physical and mental health. KeywORdS: Oncology. Caretakers. Mental health.ReSumen: A la PsicoOncología, área de intersección entre la Psicología y la Oncología, caben el estudio de las variables psicológicas y conductuales involucradas en el proceso del adolecimiento y cura y las intervenciones a lo largo de todo ese proceso. La PsicoOncología ha profundizado y afinado técnicas de potencialización de los efectos de los tratamientos médicos, capacitando cada enfermo como para utilizar sus recursos mentales de manera focal, intentando reforzar los efectos de los medicamentos que recibe. Él ha desarrollado también recursos de apoyo a los cuidadores, profesionales o no, para que actúen en cuanto copartícipes de todo el tratamiento, a la vez que les proporciona estrategias de autocuidado y fortalecimiento, también con la meta de mantener su propia salud física y mental. PalabRaS-llave:Oncologia. Cuidadores. Salud mental.* Socióloga e psicóloga clínica, atua em Psico-Oncologia há diversos anos, membro assessor da Diretoria da Sociedade Brasileira de Psico-Oncologia (2004-2006 responde pelo Serviço de Psicologia do IGM -Instituto de Ginecologia e Mastologia e pelos Departamentos de Psicologia da ABRALE -Associação Brasileira de Linfoma e Leucemia e da ABRASTA -Associação Brasileira de Talassemia. É a Master Trainer para o Brasil da Global Initiative for Breast Cancer Awareness (USA) e faz acompanhamento psicológico a pacientes com câncer. E-mail: maveit@uol.com.br ** Médico psiquiatra, presidente reeleito da S...

Using a cross-sectional questionnaire design and a sample of 2284 coupled Croatian adults, this study investigated the association between Sexually Explicit Media (SEM) use and relationship satisfaction. Further, possible moderation of emotional intimacy on the relationship between SEM use and relationship satisfaction was investigated. Controlling for sociodemographic, psychosexual and relationship variables, no significant association between SEM use and relationship satisfaction was found. However, among men, a moderating effect of emotional intimacy was found. Thus, higher SEM use was found to be significantly associated with lower relationship satisfaction only among men who reported lower levels of emotional intimacy with their partner.

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PurposeAim of the present study was to investigate potential impairment of non-motor areas in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). In particular, we evaluated whether homotopic resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of non-motor associated cortical areas correlates with clinical parameters and disease-specific degeneration of the corpus callosum (CC) in ALS.Material and methodsInterhemispheric homotopic rs-FC was assessed in 31 patients and 30 healthy controls (HCs) for 8 cortical sites, from prefrontal to occipital cortex, using NIRS. DTI was performed in a subgroup of 21 patients. All patients were evaluated for cognitive dysfunction in the executive, memory, and visuospatial domains.ResultsALS patients displayed an altered spatial pattern of correlation between homotopic rs-FC values when compared to HCs (p = 0.000013). In patients without executive dysfunction a strong correlation existed between the rate of motor decline and homotopic rs-FC of the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) (ρ = − 0.85, p = 0.0004). Furthermore, antero-temporal homotopic rs-FC correlated with fractional anisotropy in the central corpus callosum (CC), corticospinal tracts (CSTs), and forceps minor as determined by DTI (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe present study further supports involvement of non-motor areas in ALS. Our results render homotopic rs-FC as assessed by NIRS a potential clinical marker for disease progression rate in ALS patients without executive dysfunction and a potential anatomical marker for ALS-specific degeneration of the CC and CSTs.

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