Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33901747›Full record

ArticleClinical neurology and neurosurgery2021

Assessing sexual dysfunction among stroke survivors and barriers to address this issue by physicians at a Latin American reference hospital.

V Montalvan, A K Ulrich, D L Tirschwell, J R Zunt

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical neurology and neurosurgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Post stroke sexual dysfunction - a current review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

V MontalvanICTUS Program. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Department of Neurology. Guillermo Almenara National Hospital, Lima, Peru. Electronic address: victor.montalvan@ttuhsc.edu.
A K UlrichDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health(Ulrich), University of Minnesota, USA.
D L TirschwellHarborview Medical Center, Departments of Neurology, University of Washington, USA.
J R ZuntDepts. of Neurology and Global Health, Depts. of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Ave Box 359775, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Harborview Medical Center · USTexas Tech University · USUniversity of Minnesota · USUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

Interdisciplinary Cerebrovascular Diseases Training Program in South AmericaD43TW009137 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI GARCIA, HECTOR HUGO, TIRSCHWELL, DAVID L · 2014 to 2023
$2.6M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW009137
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSexual dysfunction affects at least one half of patients after a stroke. Problems related to sexual function are rarely assessed or addressed by physicians.

objectiveTo determine the frequency and factors associated with sexual dysfunction among stroke survivors and self-reported barriers of physicians to discuss sexual dysfunction during regular consultation.

methodsWe administered a questionnaire to a cross-sectional sample of stroke survivors to assess the frequency and factors associated with sexual dysfunction and the aspects of sexuality most commonly affected by stroke in a reference hospital in Peru. A qualitative approach was used to determine the willingness to address sexual issues and related barriers among neurology physicians participating in the study.

resultsAmong 150 patients, sexual dysfunction was identified in 89 (59%). Only 10% self-reported their sexual function as optimal. Markedly decreased frequency of sexual encounters (49%) and markedly decreased sexual desire (33%) were the aspects of sexual function most commonly reported by patients after a stroke. Fear of having a new stroke [OR:3.2, 95% CI (1.5-6.3)], depression [OR:2.1, 95% CI (1.0-4.3)], and self-perception of having impaired motor function [OR:2.5, 95% CI (1.2-5.0)] were significantly associated with sexual dysfunction. In the qualitative assessment of physicians (N = 15), when asked how often they addressed sexual aspects during regular consultation with a stroke survivor, none answered "very often", and only 8 (51%) answered "sometimes". At the end of the study, 10 (66%) physicians verbalized the perception that addressing this issue encouraged their patents to be more open to personal concerns and prompted a stronger doctor-patient relationship.

conclusionSexual dysfunction affected more than a half of stroke survivors, and was significantly associated with depression, fear of having a new stroke, and with the self-perception of impaired motor function. Addressing sexual issues during the regular consult by physicians was infrequent. Barriers reported by physicians included limited time during regular consultation and the belief that this issue should be addressed under the scope of other specialties.

Identifiers

PMID33901747
PMCPMC8144060
OpenAlexW3153401566

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.