Possible Pathophysiological Roles of Neurotransmitter Systems in Men With Lifelong Premature Ejaculation: Protocol for a Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: Lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE) is a rare sexual condition believed to be caused by genetic neurobiological disorders. In the field of LPE, 2 main types of research have been conducted: direct genetic research and pharmacotherapeutic interference of neurotransmitter systems that can relieve the symptoms of LPE in male patients. OBJECTIVE: We aim to provide an overview of studies on neurotransmitter systems as the pathophysiological cause of LPE by investigating direct genetic research or pharmacotherapeutic interference that relieves the main symptom of LPE in male patients. METHODS: This scoping review will use the PRISMA-ScR tool (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). In addition, this study will use a peer-reviewed search strategy. Systematic searches will be conducted using 5 scientific databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed or MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], EMBASE, and Epistemonikos). Additionally, pragmatic searches for relevant information in gray literature databases will be performed. Two reviewers will independently include relevant studies in a 2-stage selection strategy. Finally, data will be extracted from the studies and charted to summarize relevant study characteristics and key findings. RESULTS: As of July 2022, we completed the preliminary searches according to the PRESS 2015 guidelines and started to determine the final search terms that we will use in all selected 5 scientific databases. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review protocol is the first to focus on neurotransmitter pathways in LPE by combining the results from the genetic and pharmacotherapy studies. The results could help identify potential research gaps or target candidate proteins and neurotransmitter pathways in LPE for further genetic research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework 10.17605/OSF.IO/JUQSD; https://osf.io/juqsd INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/41301