CClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT00916396Updated Dec 1, 2009

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Treatment in Women and Men Experiencing Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

An interventional study of Dehydroepiandrosterone and placebo in Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, sponsored by Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Status unknown at 1 site in Israel. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2009-12-01.

Sponsored by Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Nov 2009), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is a common syndrome characterized by low sexual desire causing marked distress. The involvement of DHEA in sexual function is unknown, however, DHEA treatment increased desire in depressed subjects. In the current research, we will treat 45 women and men suffering from low sexual desire with DHEA or placebo for 6 weeks. The study's primary goal is to determine the effect of DHEA treatment on sexual desire, and to find if there is a connection between levels of hormones and change in desire. Outcome measures will include hormonal levels and psychological state. Our secondary goal is to compare baseline hormones measures in individuals with low sexual desire to normal controls. For that purpose we will measure the hormonal baseline levels among 20 normal subjects.

Read the detailed description

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is a very common syndrome in adult women and men, characterized by a severe deficiency in the desire for sexual activity, causing marked distress. There is some data that androgens such as testosterone have some beneficial effect in this condition. DHEA is a neurosteroid that is metabolized into testosterone and estrogen, both of assumed importance in the regulation of sexual libido. The direct involvement of DHEA in the regulation of sexual function is unknown, however, DHEA treatment improved libido in midlife-onset depressed subjects. In this study, we will treat women and men suffering from HSDD with DHEA. The study's first objective is to determine the effect of DHEA treatment on sexual libido in menopausal women and both young and mid-aged men. The secondary objective is to compare baseline measures of DHEA, androgens, and other neurosteroids, in individuals with HSDD to controls. Furthermore, we will investigate possible correlations between plasma and urine levels of several neurosteroids and change in measures of libido. Fifty women and men diagnosed with HSDD will be treated with either 100 mg of DHEA or placebo for 6 weeks, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Outcome measures will include several 17-Ketosteroids, DHEAS and bioavailable testosterone. Psychological outcome measures will include sexual function, mood and well-being. Twenty controls without HSDD will also be recruited to determine and compare their baseline levels of neurosteroids.

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Conditions studied

  • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
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In context

Hypokinesia

84 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypokinesia; 10 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 50 is below the median of 60 across 65 interventional studies indexed under Hypokinesia.

Browse Hypokinesia studies →

Lead sponsor

Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 541 studies on the registry; 49 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Woman participating in the research will be in the menopausal phase or after it (above a year in postmenopause)aged 65 and below. Man age range will be 18 - 65.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals suffering from a significant systemic illness, hormonal illness, alcoholism, drug abuse, major depression, "Mano/matroagia" or hypogonadism. Additionally, individuals treated with androgens, antidepressant or any other medication which may cause a disorder in sexual desire.
  • Man diagnosed as suffering from prostate carcinoma, BHP or will show PSA levels above 2.5 will not be included.
  • Woman treated with HRT or suffering from any of the following diseases will not be included: breast carcinoma, ovarian or uterus cancer or with a first grade family history of one of the mentioned.
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
50 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    real drug

    Drug: Dehydroepiandrosterone

  • Placebo comparator
    placebo

    Drug: placebo

Interventions

  • DrugDehydroepiandrosterone

    100 mg of DHEA a day (50 mg twice a day) for six weeks

    Also known as: DHEA

  • Drugplacebo

    100 mg of Placebo a day (50 mg twice a day) for six weeks

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. blood and urine tests

    Time frame: beginning of treatment, and after six weeks of treatment.

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Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Tel Aviv Aviv Medical Center
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    Recruiting
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References and documents

Publications

  • Bloch M, Meiboom H, Zaig I, Schreiber S, Abramov L. The use of dehydroepiandrosterone in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder: a report of gender differences. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2013 Aug;23(8):910-8. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.09.004. Epub 2012 Oct 18. PubMed 23084789 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 1, 2009, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00916396
Lead sponsor
Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
First posted
Jun 9, 2009
Start date
Jun 2005
Primary completion
Jan 2011 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2011 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 1, 2009

Study contacts

Miki Bloch, MD
principal investigator · Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Nov 2009. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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