This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (112)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Quantitative Study

Charles Fisher, MD; Raul C. Schiavi, MD; Adele Edwards; David M. Davis; Mark Reitman; Jeffrey Fine

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1979;36(4):431-437.

Abstract
• Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) was assessed in 30 impotent patients for the purpose of differential diagnosis. In 11 psychogenic cases, with several exceptions, NPT was found to be normal, with a marked discrepancy between the NPT findings and the patients' estimates of their daytime erectile capacity. In 19 organic patients, maximal NPT corresponded closely to and mirrored the patient's subjective estimate of his impaired waking performance. Statistically, the figures for frequency, degree, duration, and amount of NPT were found to be significantly and markedly greater in the psychogenic group. Statistical significance was maintained when the 11 psychogenic patients were closely age-matched with 11 of the 19 organic cases. The method is not 100% accurate; some 15% of impotent patients without organic findings have reduced NPT, several of whom were shown to be psychogenic, but others in this group may have undetected organic pathology. The NPT method is very promising, but beset by a number of methodological problems.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, Mt Sinai Medical Center, New York.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 18, 1978.

Reprint requests to Sleep Laboratory, Mt Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029 (Dr Fisher).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Multiaxial Problem-Oriented System for Sexual Dysfunctions: An Alternative to DSM-III
Schover et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1982;39:614-619.
ABSTRACT  

The Differential Diagnosis of Impotence: The Measurement of Nocturnal Penile Tumescence
Wasserman et al.
JAMA 1980;243:2038-2042.
ABSTRACT  

Psychological Treatment of Erectile Disorders in Diabetic Patients
SCHIAVI
ANN INTERN MED 1980;92:337-339.
ABSTRACT