Cardiovascular responses to vibrostimulation for sperm retrieval in men with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular abnormalities and arrhythmias are common in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who are undergoing vibrostimulation for sperm retrieval. The study aimed to examine cardiovascular control in men with SCI undergoing this procedure.


METHODS
Individuals with chronic cervical (n=8; age: 33.1 +/- 1.9 years) and upper thoracic SCI (n=5; age: 35.2 +/- 2.9 years) volunteered for vibrostimulation, with continuous blood pressure (Finometer) and electrocardiographic monitoring. Patients were characterized further by sympathetic skin responses (SSR) to assess descending autonomic spinal pathways and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scores to assess motor and sensory pathways.


RESULTS
All but one subject with cervical SCI were ASIA A or B and were negative for SSR in the hands and feet. All subjects with upper thoracic SCI were ASIA A or B and were positive for SSR in the hands. Systolic blood pressure was lower in men with cervical injury at rest. Vibrostimulation induced an increase in systolic blood pressure >20 mmHg in all patients with cervical SCI (range = 125/65 - 280/152; median = 167/143 mmHg) and in 2 thoracic subjects (151/104 and 170/121 mmHg). During ejaculation, 6 cervical and 3 thoracic subjects developed arrhythmias (5 with bradycardia, 6 with premature atrial contractions, 4 with ventricular excitation, 1 with junctional rhythm, and 1 with heart block).


CONCLUSIONS
The vibrostimulation procedure induced electrocardiographic abnormalities and autonomic dysreflexia in subjects with either cervical or high thoracic SCI.
Claydon
Victoria Elizabeth
VE
International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Canada.
Elliott
Stacy Lorraine
SL
Sheel
Andrew William
AW
Krassioukov
Andrei
A
D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020211:Autonomic Dysreflexia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007315:Insemination, Artificial; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D013094:Spermatozoa; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects*