ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sexual activities in the elderly were considered as a taboo for a long time. Therefore only few empirical results exist regarding sexuality in higher age. This paper presents results of interviews with persons at the age of 60 years or older regarding their sexual activities and aspects of eroticism. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: N = 728 persons at the age of 60 years or older were interviewed by means of structured interviews and questionnaires. RESULTS: Relationship-oriented aspects like confidence, love, faith and communication with the partner were more important than aspects like passion, change or physical attraction. Compared with people younger than 60 years, sexual activity is regarded as less important. This is mainly explained by the elderly with body complaints. Men wish more sexual activity than women, but experience more body complaints than women. Women more often than men have no partner for sexual activity. CONCLUSIONS: Sexuality in the elderly is not only influenced by body functions. Important factors are also relationship-oriented aspects, subjective attitudes regarding one's own body, subjects health and attitudes regarding sexuality.
Subject(s)
Erotica , Sexual Behavior , Sexuality , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Interviews as Topic , Love , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Sexual Behavior/psychology , Sexuality/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , TrustABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although it has been hypothesized that glucocorticoid hypersecretion in depressed patients leads to neuronal atrophy in the hippocampus, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -based morphometry studies of the hippocampus to date have produced mixed results. METHODS: In our MRI study, hippocampal volumes were measured in 25 depressed patients (13 with melancholia and 12 without melancholia) and 15 control subjects. RESULTS: No significant differences in hippocampus volumes were found between any of the subject groups, although within subjects right hippocampal volumes were found to be significantly larger than left hippocampal volumes. Additionally, right and total (left + right) hippocampal volumes in control and depressed subjects were found to be positively correlated with trait anxiety as measured by the state/trait anxiety inventory. CONCLUSIONS: Because our subject group is younger than those in studies reporting hippocampal atrophy, we conclude that longitudinal studies will be necessary for investigation of the lifelong course of hippocampal volumetry.
