title: Intraurethral activation of excitatory bladder reflexes in persons with spinal cord injury.
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.
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors: Paul B
authors: PB
authors: Yoo
authors: Eric E
authors: EE
authors: Horvath
authors: Cindy L
authors: CL
authors: Amundsen
authors: George D
authors: GD
authors: Webster
authors: Warren M
authors: WM
authors: Grill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014521:Urethra / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014563:Urodynamics