title: Pelvic floor electrophysiology in spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to investigate sacral peripheral nerve function and continuity of pudendal nerve in patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) using pelvic floor electrophysiological tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with low cervical or thoracic SCI were prospectively included. Quantitative external anal sphincter (EAS) muscle electromyography (EMG), pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) testing, bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) testing and pudendal short-latency somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP) measurement were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In EAS muscle EMG, two patients had abnormal increased spontaneous activity and seven prolonged motor unit potential duration. PNTML was normal in 10 patients. BCR was present with normal latency in 11 patients and with prolonged latency in one. The second component of BCR could be recorded in four patients. SEPs showed absent cortical responses in 11 patients and normal latency in one.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pudendal nerve and sacral lower motor neuron involvement are significantly associated with chronic SCI, most prominently in EAS muscle EMG. The frequent finding of normal PNTML latencies supports earlier concerns on the utility of this test; however, BCR and pudendal SEPs may have clinical relevance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As intact peripheral nerves including pudendal nerve are essential for efficient supportive therapies, pelvic floor electrophysiological testing prior to these interventions is highly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: hatitank@rm.dk.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tankisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pugdahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Pelvic Floor Unit, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clemmensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Rawashdeh
authors.affiliation: Pelvic Floor Unit, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Neurogastroenterology Unit, Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuglsang-Frederiksen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D060525:Pudendal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bulbocavernosus reflex; Electromyography; Pelvic floor electrophysiology; Pudendal nerve terminal motor latency; Spinal cord injury