The ego-function and sexuality in male and female patients with epilepsy

Abstract

Aim: to study the sexuality aspects of the “Ego-function” in male and female patients with epilepsy.Material and methods. A group of 102 respondents (52 patients diagnosed with epilepsy and 50 apparently healthy subjects) aged 19 to 45 years were examined with the help of a clinical interview and the Ammon’s Ego-Structure Test.Results. We found significant differences between men and women with epilepsy when the patients were tested for “destructive anxiety”, “constructive outer ego-demarcation”, “deficient outer ego-demarcation”, “constructive sexuality”, and “deficient sexuality”. Also, significant differences were found between women in the “healthy” and “epilepsy” groups when they were scored for “destructive anxiety”, “deficit outer ego-demarcation”, and “deficient sexuality”. Likewise, significant differences were noted between men in these two groups when scored for “deficient aggression”, “constructive outer ego-demarcation”, and “deficient sexuality”.Conclusion. Formation and maintenance of normal sexuality in patients with epilepsy is impaired by the disabled central Ego-functions.

Keywords

• sexuality
• epilepsy
• “ego-function”
• deficiency