title: Electromyographic pelvic floor activity: Is there impact during the female life cycle?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) electromyographic activity in different phases of the female life cycle, correlating electromyographic activity with age, Body Mass Index (BMI), parity as well as the presence and severity of urinary symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A clinical, observational, transversal and controlled study was conducted in 384 women: 49 nulliparous, 103 primigravid pregnant, 92 primiparous postpartum (vaginal delivery: n = 43; cesarean section delivery: n = 49), 22 climacteric, 65 postmenopausal, and 53 women identified as being unable to perform voluntary maximum contraction. All subjects were evaluated with digital palpation and PFM surface electromyography (sEMG) and completed the questionnaires: International Consultation on Incontinence Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ IU-SF) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB). Spearman's Correlation Coefficient and ANOVA were used to analyze the variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nulliparous women had higher PFM electromyographic activity than the other groups. The primigravid pregnant, cesarean section and vaginal delivery groups had higher electromyographic activity than the postmenopausal group. Studying PFM electromyographic activity with the factors evaluated, a negative correlation between age, parity, and the presence and severity of urinary symptoms was observed. There was no correlation between PFM electromyographic activity and BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fourteen percent of women participating were not able to perform active contraction of the PFM. PFM electromyographic activity changed during the female life cycle. PFM electromyographic activity correlated inversely with age, parity, and the presence and severity of urinary symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Larissa Carvalho
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.|Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG)-MG, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Botelho
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joseane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Pontifical Catholic University in Minas Gerais campus Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Delcia B V
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Adami
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiola K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cassio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riccetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010173:Palpation; D010298:Parity; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: electromyography; menopause; nulliparity; pelvic floor; postpartum; pregnancy