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Clinical Trial
. 2009:2009:6781-4.
doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2009.5333982.

Intraurethral activation of excitatory bladder reflexes in persons with spinal cord injury

Paul B Yoo  1 , Eric E Horvath, Cindy L Amundsen, George D Webster, Warren M Grill
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Intraurethral activation of excitatory bladder reflexes in persons with spinal cord injury

Paul B Yoo et al. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009.

Abstract

Electrical activation of an excitatory reflex between sensory fibers in the pudendal nerve and the bladder has been demonstrated in cats and is a potential means of restoring micturition function in persons with spinal cord injury. We investigated the clinical feasibility of activating this reflex to restore bladder function in persons with spinal cord injury by using intraurethral electrical stimulation to activate pudendal sensory fibers innervating the urethra. Excitatory bladder responses (contractions) were evoked by trains of electrical pulses applied to either the proximal (29.7 +/- 11.6 cmH2O) or distal (30.2 +/- 11.6 cmH2O) segment of the urethra. The results indicate that an excitatory reflex between pudendal nerve afferents and the bladder exists in humans with spinal injury and may provide a substrate for restoring micturition function.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of active electrode contact positioned along the urethra.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Urodynamic evaluation of bladder. [EMG = perineal EMG, pdet = detrusor pressure, pves = bladder pressure, pabd = abdominal pressure, and I.Vol = infused volume]
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of normalized detrusor pressure (Norm Pdet) in response to selective electrical stimulation at proximal and distal segments of the urethra. [*, p < 0.05]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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