Studies on sacral-evoked potentials.
The bulbocavernosus reflex may be evoked electrically with a latency of approximately 35 msec. in normal male subjects. We have studied the sacral-evoked response in 116 individuals, 10 of whom were normal controls. For each study ipsilateral and contralateral responses were obtained from each side, resulting in 4 latency values. We herein describe the abnormalities in 54 patients with a variety of documented neurologic lesions. Our investigation reveals that the bulbocavernosus reflex has the characteristics of a cutaneous polysynaptic bilateral flexor response. The use of bilateral stimulation and recording techniques permits more effective localization of neurologic lesions involving the conus medullaris or cauda equina roots.
D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012018:Reflex; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology