The study is being conducted by scientists from the Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education (CMKP) together with researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences' Institute of Psychology, state news agency PAP has reported.
The research teams are led by Michał Lew-Starowicz of CMKP and Mateusz Gola of the Institute of Psychology.
“This is the first study in the world of this scale and methodological rigor that could set new directions for the treatment of compulsive sexual behaviour,” Lew-Starowicz said.
He added that the project combines pharmacological treatment with measurements of brain reactivity to erotic stimuli, allowing researchers to better understand how medications act at the neural level.
Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) affects an estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of men and 1 percent to 2 percent of women, according to data cited by the researchers.
The condition was recognised by the World Health Organization in 2022 as a new diagnostic category in its international classification of diseases.
CSBD is characterised by a loss of control over sexual impulses, leading to repetitive behaviours that persist despite negative consequences and become a central focus of a person’s life.
Common forms include compulsive use of pornography and masturbation, impulsive engagement in casual sexual encounters and excessive use of paid sexual services.
The disorder can result in psychological distress and problems in personal relationships, work and social life, experts say.
The Polish study will involve more than 400 men aged 18 to 60. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups receiving either one of two medications — escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), or naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist — a combination of both drugs, or a placebo.
Participants will be monitored for 18 months. During that time, researchers will conduct electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements of brain activity before and after treatment, as well as psychological and laboratory tests.
Patients will also keep daily records using a special mobile application.
The aim of the project is to determine which medications are most effective in reducing CSBD symptoms, improving impulse control and quality of life, and to establish optimal dosing, the researchers said.
“We are using the latest tools of neuroscience and psychometrics to create a scientific foundation for effective treatment of CSBD,” Gola said.
“Poland leads the way in this field, and the results of this innovative project could help tens of thousands of people worldwide struggling with this problem," he added.
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Source: PAP, www.hiperseksualnosc.pl