Sexual Function and Mood Disorders Among Menopausal Women: A Systematic Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Changes in sex hormones during menopause may have detrimental effects on a woman's sexual function and cause mood disorders. The treatment of both conditions is a challenge in gynecology. AIM: To review the published literature on sexual function and mood disorders among peri- and postmenopausal women. METHODS: The review is based on the methodological framework of scoping reviews. We searched electronic databases including Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science (WoS). Publications that reported data about the relationship between sexual function and mood disorders among menopausal women were included in the review. The search was not subject to any limitation in terms of time or method. OUTCOMES: The main outcome measures used for the review were sexual dysfunction and mood disorders. RESULTS: We found 106 total records. After a full-text screening we included 19 studies from 1986 to 2020 based on various methodologies; the majority of the studies16 were cross-sectional. Investigations that addressed the symptoms of mood disorders and some domains of sexual function showed a close relationship between sexual dysfunction and mood disorders among menopausal women. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In clinical practice, it would be appropriate to screen women for at least one mood disorder or sexual dysfunction. If a woman suffers from either, it will be necessary to assess for a further disorder as well. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The review was based on a detailed search of the published literature concerning mood disorders and sexual dysfunction among menopausal women compared to women of reproductive age. Despite the clinical importance of the subject, the number of studies eligible for inclusion in the review are rather small. Further investigation of the topic is clearly warranted. CONCLUSIONS: While the association between sexual dysfunction and mood disorders appears to be bidirectional, future studies will have to investigate the specific mechanisms by which sexual dysfunction could lead to mood disorders (or vice versa). Future studies should specifically address sexual dysfunctions and attitudes of partners, BMI, family support, sleep, and multiparity. Azam Rahmani, Elahe Afsharnia, Julia Fedotova, Shirin Shahbazi, Arezoo Fallahi, Leila Allahqoli, Reza GhaneipoklGheshlagh, Sarah Abboud, Ibrahim Alkatout. Sexual Function and Mood Disorders Among Menopausal Women: A Systematic Scoping Review. J Sex Med 2022;19:1098-1115.

The severity of hypogonadism symptoms and its risk factors among male employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

OBJECTIVES: The current study was conducted to examine the severity of hypogonadism symptoms and their risk factors among the male employees of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 male employees aged 40-60 years, with hypogonadism, at TUMS. The participants were selected through census sampling. The data collection tools included the demographic questionnaire and the Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire. The participants first completed the demographic questionnaire and then the AMS questionnaire. SPSS statistical software version 22 (Chicago, IL) was used to analyze the data, and one-way ANOVA tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multivariate logistic regression were applied. RESULTS: Based on our findings, the mean overall score of hypogonadism symptoms was 41.71 ± 9.20. Based on Pearson's correlation coefficient results, there was a statistically significant association between the severity of hypogonadism symptoms and age (p < .001). Furthermore, there were significant associations between the economic status, cigarette consumption and hours of sleep and the severity of hypogonadism symptoms (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The current study's results showed that certain factors can affect hypogonadism in males. Thus, it is important to reduce the severity of hypogonadism symptoms and to modify the factors related to this phenomenon.

The impact of modified exercise and relaxation therapy on chronic lower back pain in office workers: a randomized clinical trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified package of exercise therapy combined with relaxation on pain intensity, range of motion (ROM), anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) in office workers with chronic lower back pain. In this clinical trial, 72 office workers aged 20 to 50 years with chronic low back pain were randomized to one of four groups including; group 1, exercise therapy; group 2, psychotherapy (relaxation therapy); group 3, modified protocol (exercise therapy followed by relaxation therapy); group 4, control group (no intervention). Participants exercised 3 times weekly for 6 weeks for 40-45 min of exercise/relaxation. Pain intensity, ROM, anxiety, and QoL were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after the end of the intervention. Results showed significant decreases in pain intensity and anxiety in the three experimental groups compared to the control group. The three intervention groups indicated a significant decrease in pain intensity and anxiety after 6 and 12 weeks. ROM significantly improved in the exercise therapy and the modified protocol over time (after 6 and 12 weeks). A significant difference in QoL was found between the groups, with the greatest improvement found in the psychotherapy and modified protocol groups. This therapeutic package (including exercise movements and psychological interventions) was found to have a superior effect on pain intensity, ROM, anxiety, and QoL after 6 and 12 weeks compared to other interventions (only exercise and psychotherapy).

Effects of kinesiotaping on knee osteoarthritis: a literature review.

The purpose of this review was to determine the current evidence-base for the efficacy of kinesiotaping in patients with osteoarthritis. Searching was undertaken using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) from 2007 to 2018. The target terms included within our search criteria were "kinesiotape," "osteoarthrites," "knee pain," "adults," and "geriatric." Current findings indicate that kinesiotaping can be considered a useful method for decreasing pain without any side effects in patients with osteoarthritis. The search yielded 1,062 articles and finally seven studies met inclusion criteria. However, there are a limited number of appropriately powered, robustly designed studies. Further research is required to fully understand the short- and longer-term impact of kinesotaping in patients with osteoarthritis.

Examining the effect of the computer-based educational package on quality of life and severity of hypogonadism symptoms in males.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the computer-based educational package on men's QoL and the severity of their hypogonadism symptoms. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 80 male employees. The data collection tool included the 'Aging Male Symptoms' (AMS) and 'Short Form-36' (SF36) questionnaires. Four sessions were held for the intervention group over a period of 4 weeks. Two months after training, QoL and the severity of hypogonadism symptoms were measured in both the intervention and control groups. The data were analyzed with SPSS 22 software and statistical tests, such as χ2, independent t-test, Fisher's exact test, and paired t-tests. RESULTS: Significant statistical changes were observed in the intervention group before and 2 months after the training in the QoL score in the overall dimensions of physical-psychological health and all its domains except for three domains of emotional role, social function, and pain. Furthermore, the paired t-tests showed significant differences between 2 months before and after the training in all the domains and the overall hypogonadism score in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, the computer-based educational package has a positive effect on QoL and reduction of hypogonadism symptoms.