The Changes of the Sensory Perception Threshold to the Vibratory and Electrical Current Stimuli of the External Genitalia according to Age

Park, Hyung Chul; Bahk, Jong Yoon; Hyun, Jae Seog

Abstract

PURPOSE: Although the aging process does not mean a morbid state, it is reported that the incidence of male erectile dysfunction is higher in the aged than in the young. One of important causes seems to be the functional changes of hormonal, vascular and nervous system. In addition the functional change of the sensory perception of penis can be another major cause of the erectile dysfunction in the aged male. We investigated the changes of the penile sensory perception function in the aged male.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We selected 90 men from age 20 to 76(average 43.6+/-17.0) who had no neuronal defect in past medical history and physical examination and measured the sensory perception threshold after giving the stimuli of vibration using the Biothesiometer and the stimuli of 5Hz, 250Hz, 2000Hz electrical currents using the Neurometer to the penile glans, penile shaft, scrotum, thigh and the index finger.
RESULTS
All sensory perception thresholds of electrical stimuli in penile glans and penile shaft had no significant correlation with age(p>0.05). On the other hand, the sensory perception threshold of vibratory stimuli had a significant correlation with age in all of scrotum(r=0.59, p=0.0001), penile glans(r=0.58, p=0.0001), penile shaft(r=0.54, p=0.0001), thigh(r=0.43, p=0.0002) and index finger(r=0.38, p=0.0015), in which the stimuli threshold increased in proportion to age. The vibratory stimuli threshold had a higher significant correlation with age in penis, scrotum, penile glans than in thigh and index finger.
CONCLUSIONS
The sensory perception threshold of vibratory stimuli elevated significant in the penile glans, penile shaft and scrotum. However, the sensory perception threshold of electrical stimuli showed no increase by the age. It is supposed that increased vibratory threshold of penile glans, shaft and scrotum may contribute to the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction in aging male.