DIAGNOSIS OF IMPOTENCE

Report 3 On the Observation of Abnormal REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

Abstract

In sixty-three patients complaining of impotence (Table 1), REM-penogram (measurement of nocturnal penile tumescence) was recorded, and EEG-sleep characteristics was analysed. The parameter of sleep studies is displayed in Table 2. Brain-stem function was examined by the use of the optokinetic nystagmus test, an eye tracking test, and an adrenalin loading test in some patients.
The following results were obtained:
1) In the 63 patients complaining of impotence, 35 were diagnosed as functonal and 28 as organic from the REM-penogram. EEG-sleep characteristics of all cases, both the functonal group and the organic group, are shown in Table 4. REM-T/TST of the organic group was significantly lower than that of the functional group.
2) In the functional cases, lower REM-T/TST was seen in cases with end-stage renal failure and brain-neck injury (Tables 5 and 6).
3) The abnormality of REM sleep was seen more frequently in cases with brain-stem dysfunction (Tables 7 and 8).
From the results summarized above, it is suggested that in the impotent patient the function of the brain-stem, which includes the center of REM sleep and sexual behavior, is disturbed to some extent. At the same time, it can be inferred that the abnomality of the REM sleep noted in this study is a response of disturbed brain-stem function.