Gender differences in sexuality Ego-functioning in patients with epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: to study the gender features of sexuality as one of the structural central ego functions in patients with epilepsy.Patients and methods. The investigation was conducted on a sample of 102 people, by using the Ego Structure Test described by G. Ammon (Ich-Struktur-Test nach Ammon (ISTA), 1997).Results and discussion. This study showed that female patients with epilepsy had a more severity of destructive and deficient components of ego functions, such as aggression, fear, outer and inner ego demarcation, narcissism; sexual deficit as compared to normative data. The same was often noted at a statistically significant level in comparison with other study groups.Conclusion. The impairment of all core functions in female patients with epilepsy leads to the impossible realization of mature sexuality.

Keywords

• sexuality
• epilepsy
• ego function
• constructiveness
• destructiveness
• deficiency.