title: Electromyography of pelvic floor muscles.
abstract: Pelvic floor muscles (PFM) are intimately involved in function of lower urinary tract, the anorectum and sexual functions, therefore their neural control transcends the primarily important somatic innervation of striated muscle, as they are directly involved in "visceral activity". Neural control of pelvic organs is affected by a unique co-ordination of somatic and autonomic motor nervous systems. Visceral and somatic sensory fibres supply sensory information from pelvic organs; their input influences through central integrative mechanisms also pelvic floor muscle activity. Anatomically, somatic afferent and efferent nerves of the sacral cord segments, reflexly integrated at the spinal cord and brainstem level, conduct neural control of PFM. The inputs from several higher centres influence the complex reflex control and are decisive for voluntary control, and for socially adapted behaviour related to excretory functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine VI, University Hospitals Tübingen, Psychosomatic Medicine, Osianderstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. paul.enck@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enck
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Vodusek
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D003672:Defecation; D004576:Electromyography; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012018:Reflex; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014554:Urination